Customs Impounds 300 Packages of Textile Materials
Importers on the run
By Francis Ugwoke
Determined to bring to an end trade malpractices by importers, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded another full plane-load of different cargoes brought into the country last week.
The items are said to be about 300 packages which value is put at hundreds of millions of Naira.
Customs Controller, Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMA) Command, Dr. Rufai Adamu told THISDAY that the goods which came into the country on July 9, aboard Ethiopian Airline flight No. CT3911, have been seized for violation of fiscal policies of the Federal Government.
Adamu disclosed that the items which were declared as personal effect and courier materials had no Clean Report of Inspection (CRI) accompanying them as mandatory for all imports.
The items were said to be both dutiable and contraband goods but falsely declared.
Among the items were male textile materials, bags and foot wear.
The customs boss who described the importation of the items as a clear case of "wrong presentation of manifest", said that the seizure was to check such malpractices by importers.
He explained that what the importers did was to fix fictitious CRI numbers on the manifest.
He further disclosed that all the items which the plane came with were seized.
The owners of the goods, it was gathered were yet to show up as at the time of filing this report.
The Command had earlier recorded two different seizures of 299 and 395 packages of textiles respectively between April and May this year.
Adamu told THISDAY that his Command has been instructed by the Comptroller-General of the Customs, Mr. Jacob Buba, to spare no importer involved in trade malpractices.
Advising importers to change and obey the fiscal policies of the government, the Controller warned that those who fail to see the hand writing on the wall will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
He also warned airline operators to ensure that they do not connive with importers to commit import crime, adding that the Customs Service was determined to check all forms of fraudulent practices.
"I am warning all Nigerian importers to stop import crimes. I also warn airlines against the same crime. Anyone caught will face the wrath of the law. It is a sabotage against fiscal policies of the government", he said.
He added, "we shall not relent to keep to the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs to check all import malpractices".
Adamu told THISDAY that the command had initially faced threats and intimidation from touts, but added that many importers have come to see good reasons in what the Customs is trying to achieve.
"Gradually, they are understanding us. There is a change now. They have seen that all we want is to make things to be orderly", he said.
According to him, "the beautiful thing is that airlines, charterers, handlers have been put to check, and they are now doing it right".
He however described the recent seizure as perhaps an attempt by some importers to dare the Customs.
Adamu advised all importers to ensure that all goods coming into the country do so with proper documentation, such as CRIs and proper manifest.
The Service had last week announced the seizure of 300 containers of scrap metals and teakwood which had been prepared for export by some unscrupulous exporters.
Describing the seizure as the largest single seizure in the history of the Service, Comptroller-General of Customs, Buba said that the attempt to smuggle the goods was contrary to the Export Prohibition Order in the country.
The containers were found stacked at Lagos/Niger and WASA/Cross Marine (SDV) terminals.
A breakdown of the seizure showed that 248 containers were scrap metals, while 52 were for teakwood found in the terminals belonging to WASA/Cross Marine and Lagos/Nigeria Shipping Company, multinational shipping agencies.
Buba disclosed that apart from the customs officers who have been suspended, the terminal mangers of the two shipping companies involved have been arrested and are undergoing interrogation.
He also announced that licences of the forwarding companies will be revoked in addition to imposition of appropriate sanctions and penalties.
All agencies and persons found to be connected with the crime, according to Buba will be prosecuted.
He recalled that a similar seizure of 52 containers consisting of scrap metals, teakwood and antiquities was made at the Maerskline terminal in Port Harcourt in April this year at the point of loading.
"The same shipping company had also attempted to facilitate the smuggling of 28 containers of scrap metals at Apapa last September", he said.
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