The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘D’, has intercepted smuggled goods worth N50 million across the zone.
The zone with headquarters in Bauchi comprises of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe, Plateau, Benue and Nassarawa states.
The Comptroller of the zone, Peters Olugboyega, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Bauchi.
Olugboyega said the seized goods include: 1,963 cartons of Spaghetti, 780 gallons of Vegetable Oil, 300 bags of parboiled rice concealed in BUA Sugar bags and 90 Bales of second-hand clothing.
According to him, the goods were intercepted while being transported in three J5 Buses and two trucks at different locations.
He said, ”The truck carrying 1,963 cartons of Spaghetti and 780 Jerrycans of Vegetable oil was yesterday impounded along Potiskum-Gombe road.
“The three J5 buses conveying 90 Bales of second-hand clothing, each fully loaded with 30 Bales were today impounded by our personnel on patrol along Kano-Bauchi road
“The Mercedes-Benz truck with the concealed bags of Rice was impounded by our men along Jos-Bauchi road on last Saturday.
“The total worth of the goods is about N500 million.”
Olugbenga noted that smuggling had over time affected the country economy, leading to huge losses in the revenue drive of the country.
He expressed the commitment of the service to reduce the menace to the barest minimum.
The FOU boss said that drivers of the vehicles carrying the smuggled items were arrested and would soon be prosecuted alongside the smugglers.
He warned Nigerians to desist from smuggling, stressing that anyone caught would be prosecuted according to the provisions of the law.