Customs seize N5.5bn worth of illegal goods in Rivers

The Port Harcourt Area II Command of the Nigeria Customs Service in Onne, Rivers State, has seized 56 containers filled with illegal goods brought into the country through the port.

The Customs Service reported that the containers held vegetable oil, tomatoes, and used clothing, which have a total duty-paid value of N5.53 billion.

These items were disguised as machinery and spare parts and were imported through the Onne Free Trade Zone.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, shared this information during a news briefing in Onne on Tuesday.

While showing journalists the seized containers at Onne Wharf, Adeniyi expressed concern about how some operators in free trade zones are misusing the concessions given by the Federal Government.

He explained that the government created special economic zones, free zones, and free trade zones to promote local production. Some zones are meant for exports while others are for local manufacturing.

The Customs CG mentioned that several incentives and waivers were provided to help these zones work well. This includes duty-free importation of plants, raw materials, and machinery.

But Adeniyi pointed out that in recent years, the Customs Service has raised alarms about the misuse of these concessions by importers.

He said some importers now bring goods into Nigeria under the cover of free trade zone benefits but later sell them in the local market.

He explained that the vegetable oil and used clothing were seized because they were imported against Sections 55 and 233 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

Adeniyi said, "The Command in Onne has been reviewing operations of some goods imported through Onne ports but intended for free trade zones and other economic zones in the country."

He added, "Through our intelligence and risk-based analysis of these importers, many have started to abuse the free zone concessions."

Adeniyi noted that they found that importers in the free zone had imported 45 containers of Delicious Pur brand vegetable oil, with 1,050 jerry cans in each container.

Each jerry can holds 25 litres, with a total duty-paid value of N4,252,500,000.

He said, "The remarkable thing about these containers is that they were declared as machinery and spare parts. When we discovered them during examination, we found vegetable oil. It is clear that the importer did not intend to take them to free trade zones for manufacturing, but to sell them in local markets."

Along with the vegetable oil, Adeniyi noted that the Command also seized nine 40-foot containers of used clothing valued at N1.045 billion.

He also mentioned that two 20-foot containers of foreign tomato paste, valued at N232 million, were seized during this period.

The Customs CG promised that the owners of the seized goods would face prosecution after investigations, according to the relevant import laws.

He stated that the action aims to protect Nigeria's economy, public health, and national security.

Adeniyi said, "What we have done in intercepting these containers is aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s economic interests, protecting public health, supporting local production, and ensuring compliance with our import laws."

He added, "Importing goods that violate existing restrictions or involve false declarations can seriously harm the Nigerian economy and security and deprive the government of legitimate revenue. It also puts our manufacturers and local producers at a disadvantage."

Adeniyi praised the officers and men of the Command for their watchfulness in detecting the falsely declared goods and encouraged them not to relax in their duties.