Officers of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, of the Nigerian Customs Service have plans by a two-man syndicate that specialises in forging Customs clearing documents for vehicles brought into Nigeria from the neighbouring Benin Republic who were on the verge of ferrying another unit of 600 vehicles with fake documents into the country.
Acting Customs Area Controller, FOU, Zone A, Deputy Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, told journalists on Tuesday in Lagos that his men intercepted contraband with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N501.4 million from the South-West zone within the past 30 days.
He said the syndicate has perfected plans to bring in over 600 vehicles into Nigeria from Benin Republic with fake documents before they were nabbed with fake Customs valuation stamps, fake Customs Duty Chart Book on vehicles, amongst other clearing documents in their possession.
Ejibunu said, “In continuation of our onslaught against smuggling and economic saboteurs, this unit made a major breakthrough in the bursting and arresting of a two-man syndicate that forged Customs clearing documents. Sequel to the arrest of one suspect (Shuaibu Kolo) with a 2007 Mercedes Benz along Ajilete-idiroko Road of Ogun State, whose arrest and in depth investigation led to the unravelling of over 600 pictures of vehicles domiciled in Benin Republic awaiting to undergo forged clearing process by the same criminal syndicate before being moved into Nigeria.
“items recovered from the suspects in the course of arrest and investigation were fake Customs valuation stamp; Fake Customs Duty Chart Book on vehicles; Fake Customs documents and vehicle registration documents; four computer monitors; three computer processing units; one keyboard and One printer.”
Speaking on the seized items, Ejibunu said nine truckloads of foreign parboiled rice, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Canabis Sativa and charcoal were intercepted.
He said, “Notable among the wares seized In February, 2023 for non-compliance with the extant Customs laws are, 5,328 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice (equivalent to 9 truck loads); 1 by 40 ft container said to contain 512 cartons of generators (on detention for false declaration); 1 by 40 ft container said to contain 2,298 cartons of half gasoline engines (on detention for false declaration).
“Others are, 29,875 liters of PMS; 283 cartons of foreign frozen poultry products; 75 kilograms of cannabis sativa; 55 unit of foreign-used vehicles and 1 by 40ft container said to contain charcoal meant for export.”
The Customs boss, however, frowned at the attack on personnel of the Service on legitimate duty, saying an act of recalcitrance would call for the full wrath of the law on any one found culpable.
