The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun State 1 Area Command, has impounded a suspected police vehicle with smuggled foreign rice.
The Controller, Bamidele Makinde, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Abeokuta, the State capital on Tuesday, March 22, 2022.
Makinde disclosed that the Hilux van, with police number plate, PF 10889 SPY, was arrested with 27 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice.
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According to him, the driver of the vehicle abandoned it and fled immediately he sighted customs officers.
The Controller said though he could not authoritatively say the vehicle belongs to the police; he, however, posited that the number plate on the Hilux van with siren says it all.
Asked whether the van would be released to the police, he said the development would be communicated to the NCS headquarters in Abuja for necessary actions.
“As it is, it will be communicated to Abuja. The NCS headquarters has the final say on what happens to it. If it is found to be a police vehicle, it is only Abuja that can release it to the police authority,” Makinde stated.
The Customs also boss noted that the command was able to impound 5,420 bags of rice between February 9 and March 21.
Within the period under review, Makinde explained that the command has also impounded, “133 sacks and 181 wraps (book size) of cannabis sativa; 18 units of vehicles; 13 kegs of vegetable oil; 8 bales of 19 small ‘Ghana-must-go bags’ and two sacks of second-hand cloths.”
Others are, “25 sacks and 4 bags of used shoes; 880 cartons of frozen poultry products and 26,725 litres of PMS.”
Makinde further disclosed that the total duty paid value of the seized goods is N143,905,508.
