The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’, Owerri has continued to effectively checkmate the excesses of smugglers of contraband goods in the country.
Apparently, the latest seizure of a total of 24,273 cartons of imported frozen poultry products with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N 256,264,200.
According to Public Relation Office of the unit, Onuigbo Ifeoma, the Customs Area Controller, Haruna Mamuda said that the items which were cleverly and deceitfully concealed in a Scania truck with an inscription “DHL’ were seized on the Benin axis in Edo State.
An inside source said, Compt. Haruna, who disclosed this while granting press briefing at the Customs Warehouse in Benin said that the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the items impounded stood at N256,264,200 just as three suspects were arrested by the eagle-eyed Customs men on duty in connection with the illegal business.
The Customs Comptroller, who spoke of the consequences usually associated with the consumption of foreign frozen poultry products preserved with chemicals meant for the preservation of dead bodies, regretted that a number of untimely deaths had occurred as a result of this.
He said that the NCS had continued to guarantee maximum media exposure in respect of the dangers posed to human health by imported frozen poultry products and warned those still engrossed in the illicit business to desist forthwith in their own interest or face the full weight of the law.
