The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 33,595 litres of petrol allegedly intended for smuggling into Cameroon.
The Area Comptroller of the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, Garba Bashir, who made this known during a press briefing in Yola on Thursday, October 24, 2024, said the seizure took place between August and September 2024.
According to Bashir, the smuggled petrol which was packed in 1,115 jerry cans (25 litres each), and 26 drums (220 litres each), has an estimated market value exceeding N71 million.
“These illegal operations were foiled at different borderlines within Adamawa and Taraba states,” Bashir said, adding that the seized petrol would be auctioned to the public in line with NCS regulations.
“This seizure represents our continuous efforts to combat smuggling activities, especially the illegal movement of petroleum products,” Bashir added.
In addition to the petrol, customs officers also confiscated three vehicles used for transporting the fuel: 200 bags of foreign flour, 57 bags of parboiled rice, and 10 bales of second-hand clothes, which Bashir emphasised were similarly intercepted from suspected regional smugglers.
Bashir said the Service continues to intensify border patrols to curb illicit trade, particularly in fuel smuggling, which undermines Nigeria’s economy and fuels cross-border crimes.
He further reaffirmed the NCS’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders from illegal trading activities.
