NCS seizes 17 vehicles worth ₦1 billion at Lekki car mart

Nigeria Customs Service, NCS

About 18 assorted cars including one Rolls Royce, one Chryler, one Audi Q7, one Land Rover HSE and one Toyota Venza worth ₦1,035,232,046.13 have been confiscated by the Customs Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, in a Lekki car mart.

Other exotic cars are one Ford Taurus, one Honda Cross tour, four Mercedes Benz, three Kia Rio, one Escalade, among others.

Also intercepted are 4,201 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 2,637 pieces of used tyres, 1,333 bales of used clothing, 2,001kg of pangolin, 343kg of elephant tusks, among other items.

Similarly, within the month, the warehouse operations team raided No 38, Ogundana Street, off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, and evacuated 55 sacks of pangolin shells weighing 200kg valued at ₦408,319,317.6; 218 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 343kg and valued at ₦85,156,649.96.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Lagos, Controller, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja, Mohammed Uba, recalled that the responsibilities of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have undoubtedly increased tremendously overtime because of the implementation of the different international protocols and conventions.

“The convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES 1973) entails that Customs administration globally protects wildlife by intercepting illegal trade on such animals. It further prevents the killings of endangered species since the tusks are only available after the killing of the elephant and pangolin,” he said.

Uba who said that his action is in line with the provisions of Sections 147 of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA), Cap 45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (power to search premises), Section 158 of CEMA, Cap 45, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (power to patrol freely), said that a 1/20ft container No CAIU 0961053 was seized for false declaration.

Although a Chinese national, Mr KO Sin Ying, has been arrested in connection with some of the seizures, ₦67, 945,158.00 was recovered from demand notices raised on goods intercepted.

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