Bauchi Customs seize N70m contraband goods in seven months

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone D Bauchi of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized contraband goods worth over N70.1 million between September 2020 and March 2021.

The FOU Zone D comprises Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe, Plateau and Nasarawa.

Comptroller of the FOU Zone D command, Mr Adesanmi Omiye, spoke to newsmen at a briefing on Thursday, in Bauchi, saying the seizures included 573 bags of (50kg) foreign rice.

Others are 25 jerry cans of 25 liters each of vegetable oil valued; 45 bales of used clothing value at N8.83 million; 50 bags of foreign mosquito coils valued at N450,000 and 175 cartons of foreign soap valued at N2 million.

Omiye also said there were 674 rounds of 70mm cartridges; 12 bags of marijuana, valued at N30 million; 12 vehicles used for the conveyance of the contraband valued at N8 million; 25-litre jerry cans of petrol, numbering 105 and valued at N294,000.

“The total value of the seizure by the FOU Zone D Bauchi is worth N70,199,200. Two suspects were apprehended in respect of Marijuana,” he said.

He noted that all operations were carried out in line with Section 147 of the Customs Act which empowered the service to search premises and Section 158 which empowered it to patrol freely.

The comptroller said the command had improved on its anti-smuggling profile, with the magnitude of seizures made so far in areas under its jurisdiction.