Lagos - Pirated goods worth N3.4 billion seized by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) were in Lagos handed over to the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC).

The goods made up of CDs, DVDs, computer parts, telephone accessories, medicaments and textile materials, were seized from some Nigerian businessmen.

NCC Director-General, Mr. Adebambo Adewopo, who addressed newsmen at the occasion, noted that the goods originated from China and passed through South Africa before arriving in Lagos.

He said that the commission had commenced investigations to unmask the importers, especially those behind the CDs and DVDs, who he said, would be made to face the law.

The Director-General lamented that the activities of pirates had become an “underground institution“ that could only be handled through collaborative efforts.

“Piracy itself is a collaborative effort and as an entity, we cannot fight it alone.

If we work together like what we have done with South Africa, we will certainly be able to achieve more,’’ he said.

Adewopo explained that when the NCC got the information, it had to seek the assistance of Nigeria Customs to ensure that the goods were not cleared.

He said that the consignment was “perhaps the largest seizure of pirated and counterfeited goods originating from China to Nigeria in recent time”.

Adewopo noted that it would take a little more time to get the papers for the goods from the Customs in order to identify the importers.

He noted that “the goods arrived since March and we have only just received them”.

The NCC chief assured that the commission would endeavour to include a list of pirated goods in the Customs project list, to prevent such goods from entering into the country.

Earlier, Mr. Yunusa Nyako, NCS Area Controller, Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) Command, who handed over the goods to the NCC, reiterated that collaboration was most effective in curbing piracy.

“In June 2008, when we received a security report from the NCC on the impending shipment and importation through the MMA, we dispatched a red alert to all national entry points,” he said.

Nyako added that the seizure was successful because of local and international cooperation in intelligence gathering and proactive intervention to stop such criminal acts.

He urged the NCC to inform the Customs of the outcome of investigation, as well as payment of duty on similar goods that were not pirated.