…Seizes Contrabands Worth N92m
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
The Nigerian Customs Joint Border Patrol Team Sector 3 has punctured a smuggling device, where petroleum products are smuggled outside the country in polythene sacks.
Briefing newsmen in Ilorin, the Custom Sector Commander and Coordinator of the border patrol, Comptroller Olugbenga Peters, said his team, during its operations along Lokoja-Abuja highway in Kogi State, arrested a truck carrying 650 60-litre bags of diesel in polythene sacks.
The seizure, according to him was part of a total of 82 arrests/seizures made within five months in Kwara, Kogi, Benue and Niger states that the sector commands.
Giving a breakdown of the arrests, the Sector Commander said that since his assumption of duty in late 2020, the Command had seized 154,404 litres of petroleum product with a duty paid value of N91,236,450.00
He explained that smuggling methods had advanced, as various techniques were being deployed by smugglers, who resorted to packing even liquid petroleum products in sacks.
He, however, said, “I want to warn these criminal elements operating in the sector that any method, scheme or tactics used, shall be uncovered, and they shall be arrested and prosecuted
“We are more determined than ever, to make the sector uncomfortablefor them, as the sector will henceforth beam its search light ontrucks with sacks.”
He revealed that a team of officers deployed to Lokoja axis of the sector, arrested the truck with registration number FST 102 XT, along Lokoja-Abuja high way, transporting 650 60-litre bags of diesel, concealed with sawdust.
He added, “While conveying the said goods to sector 3 Headquarters, Ilorin, the truck was involved in an accident around Egbe, in Kogi State and the seizing officers had to transfer the goods to another vehicle.
“The truck and the two suspects were handed over to Egbe Police station.”
The 82 seizures of different items included: 650 sacks of 60-litrer diesel (39,000 liters); 1,735 50-kilogramme bags of foreign parboiled rice; and 1,415 25-litre jerry cans of petroleum products (36, 525 liters).
The Sector Commander also informed the press at the briefing that 33 used vehicles, 12 bales of worn clothings and 10 motorcycles, with the total Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N92,547,752 were also seized.
Peters further disclosed that from the records made available by the NNPC/DPR, only 13 petrol tankers were granted approval to load petroleum products every week to border communities, to prevent excess products being smuggled out.
He however said that escort officers of the approved petroleum tankers, loaded with petrol to the point of discharge should not be mistaken for smugglers trying to smuggle products out of the country.
