Nigeria customs seize 2,375 litres of PMS, foreign rice

The Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi State Command, says it intercepted 2,375 litres of Petroleum Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, loaded in jerrycans, 303 bales and 94 sacks of second-hand clothes, 58 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50KG each; among others in November.

This was disclosed by the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Joseph Attah, on Thursday, while showcasing the seized items.

Attah said the command under his watch made over N127m as revenue last month.

He decried the observed increase in the smuggling of second-hand clothes into the country.

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He said, “From the record at our disposal, there is an increase in smuggling of second-hand clothes in the last two months. You may recall that 139 bales were also seized in October.

 “The smugglers cash in on people’s demand for thick clothes, such as cardigans in this Harmattan season to smuggle these used clothes, not minding the health implication to the end users.

“We don’t know where the items came from or the last users of the clothes, their health status and so on.

“For the avoidance of doubt, second-hand clothing falls under Schedule 4 of the Common External Tariff (CET) 2022-2026, importation, which is absolutely prohibited on health grounds.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that no item that could negatively affect our people is allowed entry. We are determined to do just that.”

Punch