The
anti-smuggling drive of the Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs
Service got a boost in the last one week, as a total of 853 50-kilogramme bags
of
imported rice and 395 25-litre jerry cans of vegetable oil were intercepted
and seized.
The duty
paid value of the smuggled rice was put at N14.6 million while that of the
vegetable oil was N3.1 million.
This was
made known by the Customs Area Controller, Emmanuel Udo-Aka, on Wednesday, at
the command’s headquarters in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking
further, Udo-Aka, who resumed at the area command barely a month ago, said that
a DAF truck loaded with some of the smuggled bags of rice was intercepted along
Ife-Ibadan highway on May 15.
“Also, on
May 20, two Mazda buses conveying smuggled foreign rice were also impounded
along Oko-Ifon Road, Osun State.
“Just this
morning (Wednesday, May 24), another four Mazda buses carrying bags of smuggled
rice as well as 25-litre jerry cans of vegetable oil were intercepted along
Iseyin-Oyo Road by our patrol team. However, no suspect was arrested, as the
drivers and conductors abandoned their vehicles and took to their heels,” the
Area Comptroller added.
He said that
the Customs officials employed restraint and avoided chasing the smugglers into
the midst of innocent people to avoid casualties.
“The
smugglers took advantage of the recent mass deployment of officers and men in
the Customs to indulge in their unwholesome activities, with the belief that we
will be caught off-guard, but we were still able to put some checks and
balances.
“We will
continue to reiterate our stand of zero tolerance for revenue leakage and
reduction of smuggling to the barest minimum, particularly by bringing
saboteurs to book to face the long arm of the law,” he assured.
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