Over ₦1 Billion Worth of Rice, Petrol, and Cannabis Seized by Nigeria Customs Service in Six States
The Nigeria Customs Service Joint Border Patrol Team Sector 2 has reported multiple interceptions and arrests within the country’s South-West states.
Speaking to reporters at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, on Friday, June 28, 2024, Coordinator Mohammad Shuaibu disclosed that the team seized contraband worth over ₦1.15 billion in just one week. Among the intercepted items were 1,410 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) valued at ₦30.4 million, seized both within their operational jurisdiction and at various creek points.
Shuaibu stated that the operations were in line with their mandate to combat smuggling and trans-border crimes, targeting goods that violated the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and the Federal Government’s Import and Export Guidelines.
These goods, totalling ₦1.12 billion in value, were intercepted across the borders of six South-West states.
“The seized items also included 4,051 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 3,751 jerrycans of PMS, 425 cartons of frozen poultry products, 912 used tyres, and 30 sacks of cannabis sativa. Additionally, the team confiscated 30 units of cars, seven units of imported (tokunbo) cars, four motorcycles, and other contraband items,” the coordinator explained.
In his exact words, “They were intercepted across the borders of the six states of the South-West geo-political zone.”
“30 units of cars as means of conveyance, seven units of imported (tokunbo) cars, four units of motorcycles among others,” he said.
Shuaibu warned smugglers about the severe repercussions of their activities, highlighting the detrimental impacts on national security and the economy. He stressed that smuggling leads to the movement of illicit goods such as drugs and weapons and involves human trafficking across borders, resulting in revenue loss through tax evasion and duty avoidance.
