Customs Marine command intercepts 3000 bags of smuggled rice in Oron

Customs Marine command intercepts 3000 bags of smuggled rice in Oron

Efforts by the Federal Government to boost the market for production of rice locally received a boost recently as the Eastern Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted and seized two large wooden boats carrying over 3,000 bags of foreign rice and bales of second hand clothes at Oron in Akwa Ibom State.

This was contained in an electronic statement issued by Mr. Joseph Attah, the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the NCS.

Coming on the heels of heightened anti-smuggling campaign on land and air against illegal importation of rice among others have forced illicit traders to use the waterways where they have incurred a colossal loss.

The officers and men of the Eastern Marine Command of NCS intercepted and seized two large wooden boats carrying over 3,000 bags of imported foreign rice and bales of second hand clothes at coastal town of Oron in Akwa-Ibom State.

The Comptroller of Customs in charge of the Eastern Marine Command, Abdulkareem Hussaini, while briefing journalists in Calabar, Cross River State, said it was a big mistake for the smugglers to think that the waterways are safer to carry out their illegal trade.

Hussaini assured that the capacity of his Command to deal with any act of smuggling through water has been boosted by the provision of Patrol boats and other working equipments by the Inde Dikko Abdullahi-led management of the Customs Service.

The Customs boss called on the members of the National Association of Rice Importers to go about their legal trade as the Service will not allow anybody to import rice into Nigeria without the mandatory payment of duty.

Hussaini stressed that every dutiable item that is smuggled into the country affects the funding of the Service the higher the revenue collected, the higher the amount that would accrue from the 7 per cent cost of collection.

The items seized were estimated to have a duty paid value of N25 million.

None of the smugglers was arrested made at the point of seizure as the occupants of the boats were said to have dived into the water on sighting Customs operatives.

Determined to discourage further violation of the nation’s economic regulations, the Comptroller-General of Customs was said to have directed a thorough investigation to fish out those behind the illicit trade and bring them to book.