The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has successfully dismantled a major smuggling network operating across the Ogun and Ondo State borders, in what officials have described as a “strategic blow” to illicit trade in the region.
Acting on intelligence reports and routine patrols, operatives from the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, intercepted a range of contraband goods worth several hundred million naira in multiple coordinated raids conducted over the past two weeks.
Speaking to journalists in Abeokuta on Tuesday, the Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Kola Oladeji, revealed that items seized include over 5,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 75,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) siphoned for illegal export, and 48 smuggled vehicles suspected to have evaded duty payments.
“This is not just a seizure; it is a message to smugglers that their operations are under serious surveillance. We are intensifying our efforts to protect the economy and safeguard our borders,” Oladeji stated.
The crackdown, which involved tactical units and aerial reconnaissance, targeted known smuggling routes in Idiroko (Ogun) and Ore (Ondo). Several suspects were apprehended and are currently undergoing investigation.
In addition to the seizures, Customs officials also uncovered makeshift storage facilities used by the smugglers to warehouse contraband before distribution across southwestern markets.
This latest operation underscores the agency’s renewed commitment to curbing smuggling, especially in the light of Nigeria’s economic challenges and the need to protect local industries.
The NCS called on community leaders, border residents, and transport unions to collaborate in providing intelligence and resisting the lure of aiding smugglers.
“We are not at war with communities; we are fighting economic sabotage. Smuggling denies the government critical revenue and hampers industrial growth,” Oladeji added.
The suspects, once investigations are concluded, will be prosecuted according to the provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA).
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