Smuggled vehicles: Customs to auction vehicles imported by Imo government

The Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali, says the service would auction seized vehicles belonging to the Imo Government.

The vehicles were brought into Nigeria without payment of customs duty.

Ali made the disclosure during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Customs on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, many cars on Nigerian roads use fake customs papers, adding that most of the cars were smuggled.

“We (customs) are giving Nigerians with fake customs papers grace to pay their duty or risk confiscation of their vehicles.

“I am waiting for the President, Muhammed Buhari, to give me the permission to ban importation of cars through land borders to curb smuggling”, he said.

Meanwhile, names of the twenty-nine senior officers dismissed last week by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, for various acts of gross misconduct have surfaced.

The affected officers were among the 44 senior officers who were punished for actions capable of compromising national economy and security.