The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 56 containers containing allegedly contraband goods valued at N5.53 billion at the Onne Port in Rivers State.
The seized consignments comprised vegetable oil, used clothing and foreign tomato paste, which Customs officials said were imported under false declarations.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed the development on Tuesday during a briefing with journalists in Onne.
According to Adeniyi, the importers allegedly concealed the actual contents of the containers by declaring them as machinery and spare parts under concessions granted to operators in the free trade zones.
He said Customs officers discovered 45 containers containing Delicious Pur vegetable oil, with each container carrying 1,050 jerry cans of 25 litres.
The vegetable oil was valued at N4.25 billion and had allegedly been declared as machinery and spare parts.
Adeniyi explained that the discovery suggested that the goods were not intended for manufacturing activities within the free trade zones but were allegedly being brought into the country for diversion into the local market.
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He added that nine 40-foot containers containing used clothing, valued at N1.045 billion, were also intercepted. Two 20-foot containers containing foreign tomato paste, with a duty-paid value of N232 million, were also seized.
The Customs boss said the importations violated relevant provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and warned against the abuse of free trade zone concessions.
He said the practice could deprive the government of legitimate revenue and expose local manufacturers, farmers and other producers to unfair competition.
Adeniyi assured that the owners of the seized goods would be prosecuted after investigations, in accordance with the law.
He commended officers of the Port Harcourt Area II Command for their vigilance and urged them to sustain efforts to detect smuggling, false declarations and other violations of Nigeria’s import regulations.
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