Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Eastern Marine Command, has intensified enforcement operations, seizing contraband worth N172,497,203 in the past three months.
The Customs Area Controller, Eastern Marine Command, Comptroller Anderson Jaja, disclosed this during a press briefing in Calabar, emphasising the Command’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s eastern maritime corridor.
“Our operations have been intensified across the Eastern maritime corridor. The seizures displayed today underscore our unwavering resolve to suppress smuggling while ensuring that legitimate trade is not hindered,” Comptroller Jaja said.
The seizures include 62 bales of second-hand clothing valued at N16,782,470, 190 used tyres worth N15,429,045; assorted soaps, detergents, creams, wines, juices, beverages, and bicycles valued at N68,977,618; bags of used shoes, scrap metals, wire mesh, chemicals worth N14,016,717.
Others are batteries, drums, water tanks, chemicals, scrap metals totaling N45,893,390; 14 sacks of used shoes valued at N132,636; Two flying boats worth N8,502,390; One 20-foot container with a DPV of N1,894,693
Comptroller Jaja warned smugglers to desist, stressing that “the Command will not tolerate acts of economic sabotage within the maritime sector.”
He added that enforcement will continue alongside stakeholder engagement to facilitate legitimate trade.
He urged compliant traders to leverage trade facilitation initiatives, including the Authorised Economic Operator programme and the One-Stop-Shop platform, aimed at enhancing compliance and expediting cargo clearance.
Jaja also praised the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, for providing additional patrol boats that have boosted the Command’s operational capacity.
“I commend the officers and men of the Eastern Marine Command for their dedication and professionalism. Stakeholders can rest assured that we will remain vigilant in protecting the nation’s economic interests and maritime security,” he said.
