The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun State Area Command, Idiroko, made seizures of contraband with duty paid value of N770,666,237 between April and June
The Controller of the command, Comptroller James Ojo made this disclosure at a briefing held in Abeokuta on Monday.
He said that the command also generated N92,369,227 as revenue within the three months, a 52.46 per cent increase when compared to the N53,983,622.00 recorded in the corresponding period of 2023.
He added that it also surpassed the monthly revenue target of N34,122,666.90 in June 2024 by 77.86 per cent.
According to the CAC, contraband that were successfully intercepted during the period under review included 219 sacks and 1,725 parcels of cannabis sativa, 940 rounds of live ammunition, 44,466 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 2,227 pieces of pneumatic foreign-used tyres, and 64 bales and 222 sacks of used clothes.
He added that other interceptions included 2,947 cartons of frozen poultry products, 7,015 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 21 units of vehicles, 3 units of motorcycles, and 115 pairs of used shoes.
Ojo said that the seizures made within the period were not just numbers but they represented the agency’s relentless fight against smuggling and determination to protect the local economy to ensure public health and safety and uphold the integrity of the nation’s borders.
He said, “Through our concerted efforts and strategic operations, the Ogun I Area Command has generated an impressive revenue of N92,369,227.00 for the second quarter of 2024.
“Interestingly, this revenue represents about a 52.46 per cent increase compared to the N53,983,622.00 recorded in the corresponding period of 2023. In addition, the Command surpassed the monthly revenue target of N34,122,666.90 in June 2024 by 77.86 per cent.
“In recent operations, we successfully intercepted 219 sacks and 1,725 parcels of cannabis sativa, 940 rounds of live ammunition, 44,466 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 2,227 pieces of pneumatic foreign-used tyres, and 64 bales and 222 sacks of used clothes.”
The CAC explained that the seized contraband could have catastrophic effects on people and cause damage to the economy.