Apapa Customs Command nets N212bn in Q1 2023

• Seized tramadol worth N21.5 bn and concealed in 2 x40ft containers

The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, on Tuesday disclosed that it generated over N212 billion in revenue, from January to March 2023.

The Controller in charge of the Command, Comptl. Auwal Mohammed, told newsmen at a briefing held in the Command that the export records within the period in review was also impressive, considering exported products and the money realised.

“Statistics from the export report shows that the exported goods are worth seventy billion, two hundred million, eight hundred and twenty-nine thousand, three hundred and fifty-eight Naira, sixty-seven kobo(N70,200,829,358.67), which is equivalent to Free on Board(FOB) value of $159,845,232.84,” he said.

The agricultural goods processed for export for the period in review included sesame seeds, ginger, hibiscus, mi ersl resources, steel ingot and others, totalling 110,448 metric tonnes.

The controller also disclosed that the Command, in its anti-smuggling operations, made seizures of contraband good with duty paid value (DPV) of N22billion.

He said that the Command seized 14 containers carrying “prohibited items such as vegetable oil, footwear, used clothing, unprocessed wood, and tramadol tablets.”

In emphasis, the controller said that:” On Friday, 31 March, 2023,  we uncovered a large quantity of 225mg of tramadol tablets concealed in 2×40ft containers with numbers TRHU 4758549 and TRHU 6936803, where one hundred and forty-three million, eight hundred thousand (143,800,000) tablets of tramadol were discovered in 720 cartons weighing 10.3 tonnes(10,386kg) that originated from India. This single seizure is valued at twenty-one billion, six hundred million naira (21,600,000,000.00).”

The controller said that the Command was still on the trail of the perpetrators, to bring them to book. He also used the opportunity to warn perpetrators of smuggling, duty evasion and other acts of criminality, that the Apapa Command would only facilitate legitimate trade.

Comptroller Mohammed told newsmen that since his assumption of office in the Command he had committed quality time to engaging with relevant stakeholders including importers, exporters, licensed agents, freight forwarders, and others.