by Azeez Adeniyi

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has arrested two Chinese for importing substandard tyres worth over N5bn.

According to a statement in Sunday, the suspects are Taolung Shen and Xu Jing Yau.

The statement disclosed that they were arrested at awarehouse where they had been cloning different sizes of tyres under different brand names.

They reportedly imported the tyres by stuffing them into one another.

“Sometimes as many as five tyres were stuffed into one and the tyres would have bent and ruptured in several places, thereby looking weak and slack.

“But the Chinese adorned the tyres with new labels and shinny linings to create the impression of being new and healthy,” SON said.

Director General of SON, Osita Aboloma tool reporters round the warehouse.

He said the quality of the tyres were already compromised as they were stuffed together and shipped all the way from China.

“The SON Directorate of Compliance intercepted one of their trucks on the highway, tracked it and then this.

“You can see the amount of danger that these people are posing to our people and our economy just because they want to make huge profit at the expense of the lives of Nigerians.

“It is a clear case of investing millions in illicit business in order to take away the lives of millions of Nigerians, to destroy the lives of millions of Nigerians. If we allow something like this, it will amount to killing Nigerians,” Aboloma said.

He warned others involved in adulterated products to desist from it.

“I want to reiterate that there is no hiding place for those who deal in substandard products as they would be caught and their products confiscated. Today’s feat is an example,” he said.

Azeez