…Seizes contrabands worth N92m
By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
The Nigeria Custom Joint Border Patrol Team Sector 3, has punctured a smuggling device where petroleum products are smuggled out of 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 bags of 60 litres of diesel each 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 by the Sector commands.
Giving a breakdown of the arrests, the Sector Commander said since his assumption of duty late 2020 the Command has seized 154,404 liters of petroleum product with a duty value of N91,236,450.
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.
However, he said: “I want to warn these criminal elements operating in the sector that any method, scheme or tactics used, shall be uncovered, and perpetrators arrested and prosecuted.
“We are more determined than ever to make the sector uncomfortable for them, as the sector will henceforth beam its search light on trucks with sacks.”
According to him, a team of officers deployed to Lokoja axis of the sector arrested the truck with Reg. No. FST 102 XT along Lokoja-Abuja high way, transporting 650 bags of diesel, 60 litres each, concealed with sawdust.
“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 82 seizures of different items included 650 sacks of 60 litres each of diesel (39,000 liters); 1,735 bags of foreign parboiled Rice of 50kg each; 1,415 Jerry cans of 25 litres of petroleum products each (36,525 liters).
Also, he said that 33 used vehicles, 12 bales of worn clothing and 10 motorcycles with duty value of N92,547,752.