'How We're Combating Economic Crimes in Customs'
By Francis Ugwoke
Afew months aft er someexporters attempted to smuggled 305 containers of scrap metals and wood through the Tin Can Island port, the Customs Command says it has declared war on businessmen who are out to violate the fiscal policies of the government.
Customs Controller, Mr. O. Nnanna, who told THISDAY that his Command was bitter about the attempt to smuggle the prohibited items, said that the Service has since re-engineered its efforts in bringing to book businessmen who may attempt such malpractices again in the port.
Nnanna said that after the incident, his Command has reinforced effort to examine export goods.
According to him, all containers going into the port, whether empty or for export are made to undergo 100 percent examination to ensure that prohibited items are not allowed into the port in the first place.
He said that checking of such containers begins from the Gate as they come in and also at the export seat to ensure that the ugly incident of the past few months is not repeated.
The Controller stated that it would have been a terrible thing if the containers were not discovered.
However, he maintained that there was no way the containers would have been allowed to leave the country since they had not gone through the process of examination by his Command before they can be released to export.
He explained that when export containers come into the port, they are first moved to the export bay, as owners are expected to file in their documentation through the Customs Processing Centre (CPC) to the Export Seat, adding that the containers in question had not gone through due processes for release to export before they were discovered to be probihibited.
Nnanna explained that for manufacturers who have goods to export, the process is that the Service sends its officers to the factory or warehouse with other agencies where examination is carried out before the container is sealed and sent to the port.
But he added that this is different for other group of exporters who are allowed to bring in their goods into the port where due processes are conducted before the container is released for export.
On how the Service has been able check other economic crimes among importers and a freight forwarders, the Customs Controller said that the Accounts Section must confirmed the payment receipt before the process of goods clearing begins.
"The accountant must confirm the receipt using the bank's manifest. The banks have to tell us when payment is made by manifest of all receipt numnbers, beneficiaries - CBN or FGN and importer before processing begins. After processing, O/C Gate is under instruction to reconfirm with the Accountant before the goods are allowed to leave the port", he said.
He also added, "if any officer is in doubt about any of our documentation, he is expected to call on the CPC to ensure the document passed through our system. The DC CPC has to recheck that the CRI is genuine and payment receipt is also genuine".
Nnanna said that although some people think that this process leads to delay, he said that this was the only way the Command can effectively combat economic crime.
But he assured that the whole process does not take more than 48 hours for the importer to take delivery of his goods.
On the rate of economic crime in the port, the Controller said that as far as he was concerned, it has been reduced.
The Customs management had recently announced the seizure of 305 containers at Tin Cna Island port as their owners attempt to export them.
Export of scrap metals and teakwood is prohibited.
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