By Gbenga Sodeinde
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted a total numbers of 25,906 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50kg an equivalent of 43 trailer loads.
The Controller, Ogun Area 1 Command, Comptroller Bamidele Makinde, announced this while briefing newsmen on the half year scorecard of the command.
According to him,a trailer load of maize meant for popcorn production and imported from the South Africa,1,433 cartons of Frozen poultry products and 1,400 packets,2,250 sachets of tramadol were also among contrabands intercepted by his Command within the period under review.
The Customs Comptroller said the command has also generated a total of N29,940,146.50 from import duties and auction sales of premium motor spirit seized from smugglers.
Speaking specifically on the smuggled rice, Controller Makinde said,if the seized quantity was allowed into Nigerian markets it would’ve been disastrous to the Federal Government policy on local rice production and the economy of the nation.
Other seizures recorded in the period under review included; 1433 cartoons of frozen poultry products, 72 units of used vehicles, 20 units of motorcycles used as means of conveyance and 168 packets of codeine, Some bundles of foreign used clothes intercepted
Others are; 289 cartoons of tomato paste, 258 sacks and 661 wraps of cannabis sativa, 140 pieces of used tyres, 343 cartoons of foreign wine, 34 bales, 113 sacks and 36 Ghana-Must-Go bags of second hand clothes, 64 sacks and 2,218 pairs of used footwear, 328 cartoons, 320 sacks and 72 pairs of new footwear, 180 pieces of female hand bags, 375 bales, 925 pieces of textile and 900 pieces of matches.