The Apapa Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service said it recorded 103 various seizures in year 2021 with duty paid value (DPV) of thirty one billion,two hundred and twenty seven million, four hundred and thirty one thousand, two hundred and twenty five naira (N31,227,431225.00).
The seizures were made possible as the result of the Commands renewed stratrgies in anti-smuggling capacity.
Speaking to the press at the Command on Thursday, the Area Controller in charge of the Command, Comptroller Yusuf Malanta Ibrahim disclosed that the Command has further strengthened it’s anti- smuggling operations against economic saboteurs through credible intelligence driven operations and continuous partnering with other relevant agencies for effective port management.
Comptroller Yusuf hinted that the worthy of mention among the seizures is 46.55kg of cocaine concealed on vessels MV Karteria and MV Chayanee Naree laden with raw sugar.
Yusuf disclosed that some of the seized items include containers of foreign parboiled rice, tomato paste , secondhand clothes and unregistered pharmaceuticals such captagon pills, tramadol, codeine syrup among others.
He noted that the seized items were made in accordance with provision sections 46, 47 and 161 of CEMA CAP C45 LFN 2004, adding that the seizures were condemned by a competent court of law with the suspects still undergoing investigation and interrogation.
Speaking on export trade , the Command boss said that the sustained trade facilitation strategies put in place had positive impact on export trade through the Apapa port.
According to him ” In the year under review, the Command recorded a boom in the exportation of non -oil commodities with about 110% increase in tonnage above the figure of the year 2020.
“Statics from the export unit shows that goods with a total tonnage of about five million, three hundred and eighty metric tons were exported in the year 2021 as against one million, three hundred metric tons exported in 2020.
” The free on board (FOB)value for the exported items also rose from $340 million in the year 2020 to $641 million in 2021″ Comptroller Yusuf says.
He however added that the naira equivalent of the exported goods stood at over N245 billion while items exported include steel bars, agricultural and mineral products among others.
The feat he said, was achieved through the Federal government policy and export incentives schemes occasioned by the service and automation of NXP and CCI.
Meanwhile the Command was able to collect a revenue of over N870.388 billion in the year under review despite the enormous challenges faced in the trade supply chain occasioned by Covid-19 pandemic which is still ravaging economies around the world couple with high cost of freight, incessant traffic gridlock, rail construction through port as well as ensuring increase in compliance level from stakeholders.
The amount generated shows an increase of about 68% in comparison with the collection of 518.4billion in the year 2020.
