KLT Customs seizes N229m contraband, generates N15.8b

The fight against illicit drugs and other contraband in the country has continued to yield positive results. In one fell swoop, the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Thursday disclosed its seizure of 16 containers loaded with different prohibited items.

Included in this containers were 254 cartons of 100 mg of tramadol; hydro genated coconut oil; furniture, foreign rice, used tyres and other items, with Duty Paid Value (DPV) amounting to N229 million.

The Command Area Controller, Comptroller Morenike Oladuni, who led the media on a tour of the seizure at the KLT terminal, said importers of most items in the seized containers made wrong declaration on their import.

For instance, checks revealed that the containers loaded with used tyres were declared as containing chemicals, while contents in two containers – 40- foot and 20-foot – were declared as corn starch, but upon examination was discovered that they contained various kinds of body sprays. Another of such containers was declared as containing hydrogenated coconut oil. However, this product hydrogenated coconut oil is prohibited on the Item 4 of Schedule 3 of Common External Tariff (CET). Yet, another container had Basmati rice and other things falsely declared. All the containers summed up to 16, with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N229 million.

Oladuni said “the tramadol tablet was discovered by the command officers on examination. We got intelligence report that the containers had been around for sometimes and we waited for declaration, which never came. We brought down the container for examination to confirm based on intelligence report we had. And by the time we opened, we found tramadol concealed with the other medicaments. We had 143, 25 and 86 cartons and all were tramadol and there are other few that are not tramadol inside the container. All together, we had 254 cartons.” The seized drugs are to be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Speaking further, the KLT Command Controller also informed of her command’s feat in revenue generation for the year. She noted that notwithstanding the effect of COVID-19, as at the end of September, KLT had raked in N15.8 billion, an impressive 42 percent increase over same period last year which was N11.1 billion. Besides, the N15.8 billion so far collected this year surpasses the entire revenue collected by the command in 2019.