Apapa Customs Command intercepts containers of machete, expired pharmaceuticals, others
The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, has seized containers loaded with several import prohibited items including machete, frozen chicken, bales of used clothes, and expired pharmaceutical products.
The Command in a statement on Friday gave a breakdown of the seized items to include two 40ft containers carrying 12,000 pieces of cutlass and machete; two 40 ft containers carrying 4,129 packages of frozen hen; one 40ft container carrying 368 jumbo bales of used clothes; and one 40 ft container bearing expired pharmaceuticals products.
“The duty paid value (DPV) of these items stood at N292, 244, 857.00.
“It is pertinent to note that this type of importation is against schedule 3 of the revised import prohibition list of the Common External Tariff (CET) and violate Section 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023,” the statement reads in part.
The Customs Area Controller, Babatunde Olomu attributed the success of the operation leading to the seizures to “a combination of intelligence and diligent enforcement in ensuring that no consignment exits Apapa Port or any terminal under the Command without undergoing proper examination.”
Olomu said that the Command would continue to sustain and improve on trade facilitation and maximum revenue collection without compromising the enforcement of the extant laws as they pertain to false declaration, concealment, under-declaration and under-valuation.
The Command promises to continue enforcing the requirements for sister agencies like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in the case of food and drugs and strict implementation of the end- user certificate rules for products that require it from relevant authorities like the Office of the National Security Adviser(ONSA).
The CAC also reiterated earlier warnings of the Comptroller General of Customs on the smuggling of prohibited items.
He restated that the Command would keep ensuring that only consignments meeting integrity test of compliance would be allowed to go through the port either as import or export cargoes.
