Apapa Customs Command collects N212.592b, intercepts N21.6b tramadol, facilitates N70.2b export

• Compt. Mohammed (right) and some other officers of the command during the display of the intercepted contraband imports at the Apapa Port…Tuesday

By Anthony Nwachukwu

Export goods totalling 110,448 metric tonnes and valued at N70.2 billion was processed by the Apapa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in the first quarter of 2023, while the total revenue of N212.592 billion for the period.

The exports were agricultural goods such as sesame seeds, ginger and hibiscus, as well as mineral resources and steel ingot.

Disclosing these to newsmen Tuesday in Lagos on the command’s trade facilitation and anti-smuggling scorecards for the period January to March 2023, Compt. Auwal Mohammed said that statistics from the export report showed exported goods worth N70.200 billion, equivalent to Free on Board (FOB) value of $159,845,232.84.

He added that the command also “uncovered a large quantity of 225mg tramadol tablets concealed in 2x40ft containers, numbered TRHU 4758549 and TRHU 6936803.”

According to him, in the two containers from India were 143,800,000 tablets of 225mg tramadol in 720 cartons, weighing 10.3 tonnes (10,386kg) and valued at N21.6 billion.

   “We are on the look-out for those behind such unlawful importation for their arrest, and very soon we will track them down to face the full wrath of the law,” he assured.

In all, 14 containers of prohibited items, including vegetable oil, footwear, used clothing, unprocessed wood and tramadol tablets with a total Duty Paid Value of N22.099 billion were seized within the period.

Mohammed said of these developments: “Our functions of revenue generation and collection, suppression of smuggling and facilitation of legitimate trade have been consistently implemented within the first three months of 2023.

“While I am meeting with various stakeholders and partner-government agencies to ensure the tempo of compliance is sustained and improved upon, the command stood forthright in foiling attempts at smuggling prohibited items into and out of the country.

“Our resolve to enforce government’s fiscal policies and extant laws to ensure that import and export consignments transiting through Apapa Port are duly examined has been strengthened through effective collaboration and timely sharing of credible intelligence with sister-government agencies in the port.

“We owe Nigerians the duty to prevent this kind of importation from entering the market to safeguard the health of the citizenry.”

While commending the inter-agency collaboration with other government organisations, as well as with other stakeholders, he warned perpetrators of smuggling, duty evasion and other forms of criminality against the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) and other extant laws that the Apapa.