…seizes car fitted with petrol smuggling tank
The Adamawa/Taraba Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 85 200-litre drums of petrol intended for illegal transport to the Republic of Cameroon.
Additionally, the command confiscated 795 25-litre jerry cans filled with the same product, which were discovered hidden along a bush path at the Sahuda section of the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
Comptroller Garba Bashir, Customs Area Controller of the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, disclosed these findings during a press briefing held Friday at the NCS headquarters in Yola. He also mentioned the interception of a Carina E vehicle with a concealed compartment loaded with petrol along the Girei-Wuro Boki axis in Adamawa State.
According to him, the foregoing seizures were made from the 29th of last month to date.
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He added that within the past six weeks in all, the Area Command has recorded 17 cases of seizure of various items with an aggregate duty value of N36.9 million.
The customs area controller explained that smuggling of petrol out of Nigeria thrives because of high demand in the neighbouring countries.
“In spite of the PMS subsidy repeal, smuggling from Nigeria into the neighbouring countries flourishes. This is due to strong fuel demand and steeper prices in adjacent countries such as Cameroon, Nigeria, and the Benin Republic,” he said.
He vowed however that his command has been strengthening its capabilities and carrying out operations to counter every move of smugglers, adding, “We will continue until we bring smuggling down completely.”