The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja, has explained that it prefers to seize smuggled items to inflict financial loss on smugglers.

The Customs Area Controller in charge of the unit, Mr Kola Oladeji, stated this on Tuesday while showcasing the seizure of 445 bags of foreign rice.

He said the rice bags were intercepted by Operation Swift String, managed by the FOU Zone A. Oladeji added that the seized consignments would be condemned and forfeited to the Federal Government

“We want to inflict financial losses on them. We have been preaching to them to stop, and they are not ready to. With these seizures, they have lost money because it’s going to be condemned by the Federal Government, and they will be forfeited,” Oladeji said.

Giving details of the seized bags of rice, he stressed that the contrabands were intercepted along Ijoun, a border in Ogun State connecting Nigeria with the Benin Republic. He maintained that the unit carried out the operation following credible intelligence.

“It was as a result of the intelligence we received that some elements are planning to smuggle some prohibited items into the country,” he said.

Oladeji added that the seizures were a result of intelligence by the officers and men of the unit.

The FOU A customs boss mentioned that the offices enjoyed cordial support from the community during the duration of the operation.

Oladeji pointed out that no one was shot in the course of the operation.

“But my happiness is on the ground that nobody was shot, nobody was injured, and there was no casualty. Because the community people really assisted us in running all these programs,” he said.

He reiterated that they carefully carried out the operation to avoid inflicting injuries to border communities.

He vowed that the unit would continue to intercept smuggled goods until smugglers ran out of business.