Customs seize smuggled petrol, rice in Kebbi

The Nigerian Customs Service, Kebbi State Command has intercepted 8,975 litres of Petroleum Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol loaded in 25-litre jerry cans from suspected smugglers.

Speaking while briefing newsmen on the command’s activities on Thursday, the Customs Area Controller, Ben Oramalugo, said the command intercepted different items worth N91.5m duty paid value within three weeks.

Some of the items seized by the command, apart from the PMS, include 189 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 71 bags of imported sugar, 42 bales of second-hand clothes and 36 sacks of used shoes.

Others include 74 cartons of bleaching cream, 110 solar batteries, 105 cartons of medicine, seven fairly-used vehicles as means of conveyance as well as one tanker truck suspected to have been smuggled into the country in contravention of the Federal Government’s policy prohibiting the importation of vehicles through land borders.

Oramalugo revealed that the seized PMS will be auctioned immediately after the briefing.

“It is disheartening that despite the humongous amount paid by the government to make PMS available to citizens at a reasonable price, some unscrupulous citizens choose to divert the product to our neighbouring countries for their selfish financial benefits,” he said.

While calling on smugglers to desist from the act, he explained that the command, as part of its mandates, will create an avenue where only permissible goods will be traded.