Operatives of Ogun Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have intercepted about 278 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol from smugglers.
Two drums of diesel, 221 kegs of vegetable oil, 13 second hand vehicles, and 383 bags of rice were also seized from smugglers.
The seizure, according to Ogun Customs Area Controller, Mr Sani Madugu, was recorded following impeccable intelligence at the disposal of the command.
Speaking with reporters at the Idiroko Area Customs Command on Friday, Madugu said his men would continue to pursue smugglers wherever they are hiding.
The seized fuel were later auctioned to security forces including the police, army, Directorate of State Security(DSS) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA).
Madugu said: ”It is pertinent to inform you that , we have reinvigorated our efforts not only to sustain the tempo we have achieved in the previous year(810 seizures with Duty Paid Value of N1,581,410,058 and total revenue of N6,162,559,790.13 from January to December,2017), but rather strategies have been put in place to improve our performance. This assertion can be justified with seizures of 13 tokunbo(second hand), two means of conveyance, 17 motorcycles,383 bags of foreign rice(50 kg each), six sacks of second hand clothing, shoes, bags, 221 kegs of vegetable oil with DPV of N67,247,153, among others within the last two weeks in Idiroko axis of Ogun Area Command.
” In an effort to curb the menace of smuggling of petroleum products outside Nigeria by some unscrupulous, unpatriotic and desperate members of the public who are determined to enrich themselves illegitimately to the detriment of other Nigerians, we have succeeded in intercepting 276 kegs of petrol(PMS), nine drums and 32 kegs of diesel and five drums of kerosene. We will continue to explore intelligence and surveillance in monitoring filling stations along the border areas so as to avert any form of diversion. We will like to use this medium to appeal to all members of the public to be patriotic by availing the (Customs) service with plausible information , so as to assist in mitigating the menace of smuggling of petroleum products and other prohibited goods.
Madugu disclosed that 291 vehicles have been released to successful bidders who participated in the electronic auctioning system put in place by NCS.
He said further that 11, 990 bags of rice, 1,129 jerry cans of 25 liters vegetable oil and 29 jerry cans of 25 liters of palm oil were evacuated from Customs’ warehouses by the Nigeria Army Transport and Logistsics for delivery to internally displaced persons in Yobe State.
Commendation letters were later presented to two officers of the command, Chief Superintendent Jamairi Ali Mamza and Superintendent Ya’u Habeeb for their outstanding exploits in curbing smuggling activities within Idiroko and Abeokuta axis of Ogun State.
The post Ogun customs intercepts 276 kegs of petrol, N67.2m contraband appeared first on The Nation Nigeria.