Seven suspected smugglers have been arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun Area I Command.
The command said it seized 181 prohibited items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) worth N704,482,601, in four months.
The Command also seized goods including 12,610 bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice of 50kg and 25kg each, and equivalent to 21 trailer loads within the period.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Bamidele Makinde, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Wednesday in Abeokuta on the activities of the command’s for the first quarter of 2023.
Makinde disclosed that a spectacular seizure of 740 bags of Chinese rice of 25kg each, stockpiled in a warehouse in the Sagamu axis of the state was made on March 15.
The Controller itemized other seized goods within the period under review to include 1,446 cartons of imported cigarettes labelled and addressed in Chinese contrary to the extant laws of the country; 77,250 litres of PMS; 29 used vehicles used as means of conveyance; 29 pieces of big and small artifacts; 73 bales of second clothing; 14 sacks of foreign used shoes; 900 pieces of foreign used tyres; 1,120 cartons of frozen poultry products; 240 pieces body cream and 107 sacks as well as 1,375 wraps of Cannabis Sativa.
On revenue generation, Makinde disclosed that the command generated a sum of N44,857,053.50 in the period under review. He added that the proceeds of the revenue consisted of duty collected on merchandise in baggage, auction sales of scrap vehicles and petroleum products.