The Controller, Katsina Customs Area Command, Alhaji Chedi Wada, said the command generated N77.8 million as Duty Paid Values (DPV) on vehicles and general goods imported in October.

Wada disclosed this in a statement in Katsina, noting that during the period, N20 million was paid as DPV on vehicles including DAF Truck, Honda Accord, Volkswagen Golf and a Toyota Tacoma Pickup.

The controller said, however, on general goods, the service collected N8.9 million from 302 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 361 cartons of foreign spaghetti, cartons of foreign macaroni, bales of second-hand clothing, Jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol), among others.

“It will interest you to know to know that we generated the sum of N59.5 million duty values on vehicles while the sum of N18.2 million was collected for the general goods in our anti-smuggling operations in the period under review.”

“We, therefore, have a total of N77,803,825 for the vehicles and general goods which we collected,” Wada said.

The Area custom boss said that the attention of the customs service had been drawn to a video that went virile with a deceitful narrative on extortion by Customs operatives.

“That story is not only fake and mischievous but aimed to misinform the public. It is also aimed to tarnish the image of the Service.

“As far as we are concerned, there will be no hiding place for smugglers around the Katsina borders because we are watching them.

“So no amount of blackmail and intimidation would deter our officers and men executing their statutory responsibility to block any illegal means of import or export of goods.

“The public should also note, any duty paid does not go to customs account but to the Federal Government Treasury, known as Treasury Single Account),” Wada said.