Federal Operations Unit Zone C of the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) said it intercepted 5,200 live ammunition and other prohibited items during the Yuletide.
The Unit Zone Customs Controller, Mr Yusuf Lawal, displayed the intercepted ammunition in Owerri, Imo State on Thursday.
Other prohibited items also intercepted and displayed included 1,215 bags of foreign rice, and a bullet proof Toyota Landcruiser Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).
According to Lawal, the interceptions of the items took place between November 23 and December 27, 2020.
He said the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the live ammunition was N3 million, while the DPV of the foreign rice was N36 million.
Unit Zone C Customs boss said the DPV of the bullet proof Landcruiser and other three vehicles seized during the period was N221 million.
He added that 38 ‘Jumbo Bales’, usually referred to as used clothes, worth N3 million were also intercepted during the period under review.
The Customs controller further said that 204 foreign tin tomatoes, pharmaceutical products and others worth N115 million were intercepted.
Lawal said his zone also recovered N7 million from a Demand Notice (DN) on 3X40ft containers which according to him, was as a result of wrong declaration and transfer of value.
He said, “The live ammunition was intercepted on Nwezenyi Ikom road in Cross River, while the 1,215 bags of rice were intercepted on Okada road in Edo and the tomatoes and pharmaceuticals were intercepted on Onitsha-Enugu expressway.
“Today, I’m elated to inform you that after reflecting and reviewing our operational modalities toward sustaining our statutory mandate of anti-smuggling operations, we have intercepted contraband.
“On assumption of duty, I held meetings with my sectional heads, where we unveiled the management mandate, which includes blockage of revenue leakages and amplification of ant-smuggling operations.”
Noting that the total amount of DPV and DN of the seizures made during the period was N386 million, Lawal decried the activities of smugglers.
He said, “Considering the level of insecurity in the country, if the live ammunition were not intercepted, the nation would have been in trouble.
“These seizures were made since I took over as the Controller, Federal Operations Zone ‘C’. We will not give up the fight against smuggling in the country.”