The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it seized smuggled goods worth N4.9 billion from January to June.
The Public Relations Officer, NCS, Mr Wale Adeniyi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said this was against the N3.1 billion seizure made in the same period in 2015.
Adeniyi said that Cost, Insurance Freight (CIF) was valued at N4.0 billion while duty was N932. 5 million.
He added that 252 arrests were made by the service within the period as against 240 in the same period in 2015.
“The service seized goods worth a duty paid value of N4. 975 billion in six months.
“The total number of seizure made from January to June this year was 3,066 as against 5,485 in same period in 2015.
Adeniyi said that the increase of N1.8 billion in the duty paid value of seizure was due to fiscal policy implementation.
“We (customs) have renewed commitment to fiscal policy implementation.
“Rice seizures account for over 70 percent of our seizures as we still have intelligence about thousands of metric tonnes landed in Benin Republic.
“We (customs) are raising the stakes to create huge disincentives to smuggling of rice and other prohibited products,” he said.
