Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), carrying out anti-smuggling activities across international borderlines in Adamawa and Taraba states, have seized a total of 29,825 litres of petrol allegedly intended to be smuggled out of the country.
The seizures were made within the last three weeks, according to the Adamawa/Taraba Area Controller of the NCS, Garba Bashir.
The petrol, packed in 1,149 25-litre Jerry cans and four 220-litre drums, was seized along with three tinted cars, one of them fitted with a concealed drum in which some of the petrol was loaded.
Garba Bashir, who called a news briefing Wednesday on the seizures, indicated that the seized petrol consignments were packed with intent for smuggling into the adjacent Republic of Cameroon.
He mentioned other items seized within the time in view as 11 bales of second-hand clothing, eight 200-litre drums and 35 25-litre Jerry cans of methylene chloride, which comes by the street name of suck & die.
He gave the aggregate duty paid value of the seized items as N51, 947,500.
Addressing newsmen at the press briefing in his office at the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command headquarters of the NCS in Yola, Bashir said the seizures were made through sheer resolve to stop smugglers from sabotaging legitimate fuel supply activities within the country.
“Remember, in our last press briefing here in Yola, I promised that illegitimate marketers would not have fresh air until they forsake economic sabotage and embrace genuine business,” he told the newsmen.
On revenue generation generally, Bashir said the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command surpassed its target in 2024, generating N173,609,941 against the N132,000,000 targeted for that year. Nation