Customs appeals to border community over fight against smuggling

– The Customs urged border communities to assist the Customs in fishing out criminals who, on daily basis, kill Customs officers

– Going further, Customs alleged that the connivance and support of border communities to smugglers was worrisome

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday, January called for the cooperation of border communities in the fight against smuggling.

The comptroller general of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), made the call at a news conference to mark International Customs Day (ICD) in Abuja.

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) dedicates every January 26 for the celebration and improvement of efficiency in the service.

The organisation was established as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) in 1952 and it has its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

Ali also urged the border communities to assist the Customs in fishing out criminals who, on daily basis, kill Customs officers operating in their domain.

Ali alleged that the connivance and support of border communities to smugglers was worrisome, adding that the service would not hesitate to enforce extant laws to deal with the situation.

“Enough is enough, if a community decides to be on the side of criminals, they are also criminals and they will be treated as such,” he said.

He urged border dwellers and port users to support the service by reporting any smuggling activity to the nearest Customs formation.

The Customs boss said that the service, under his leadership, was determined to deal decisively with smugglers because their illicit activities were sabotaging the nation’s economy.

Ali commended the federal government for its commitment and strong political will to fight smuggling by equipping the service better.

He also lauded other security agencies for sharing intelligence reports with the Customs in the fight against smugglers.