- Nigeria Customs Service intercepted contraband goods worth N42,429,63, including foreign packaging materials, second-hand clothes, spaghetti, and vegetable oil
- Coordinator Kola Oladeji revealed the interception, emphasizing the smugglers’ adaptation to closed borders by using motorcycles for transportation
The joint patrol team of Sector 4 in the northwest zone of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted contraband goods valued at N42,429,63 across various border points in Kebbi State.
The confiscated items include 971,500 foreign packaging materials worth N32,088,037.31 destined for transport to Niger Republic, 16 bales of used second-hand clothes valued at N5,284,700.00, 95 cartons of foreign spaghetti worth N1,192,360.44, and 65 jerry cans of vegetable oil with a duty value of N3,864,436.88.
Briefing journalists at the NCS command headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, Comptroller Kola Oladeji, the coordinator of the joint patrol team, revealed that the intercepted goods were being readied for illicit export to Niger and Benin Republics. The interception occurred at various border points, including Yauri, Ambursa, Beli in Bunza, and the Bagudo waterside area of the state.
Oladeji highlighted the modus operandi of the smugglers, citing the closure of borders on the directive of ECOWAS. Smugglers have adapted by transporting goods via motorcycles to locations where they are loaded onto waiting vehicles.
Expressing the readiness of the NCS to support legitimate traders while cracking down on illegal activities, Oladeji emphasized the disruptive nature of illicit trade on government operations.
“I want them to know that NCS is ready to assist traders doing legitimate business and clampdown on illegal ones because they are constituting a nuisance to government,” he asserted.
The successful interception underscores the commitment of Nigerian authorities to combat smuggling activities and uphold regulatory measures to safeguard the nation’s economic interests.