The Comptroller General of Customs Strike Force says it has impounded five trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice in Ogun State.
The seizure is coming a week after the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe hinted about the planned closure of the land borders due to massive rice smuggling into Nigeria.
Zonal Commander of the Strike Force, Zone A, Assistant Comptroller Salisu Assababullah, disclosed that the interception was made at Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
Assababullah said the smuggled rice numbering about 3000 bags of 50kg with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N42 million, were concealed inside containers and trucks belonging to corporate organisations.
According to him, the strike force was able to make the seizure through intelligence it gathered on the fresh way of smuggling parboiled rice into the country.
Assababullah said, “The CGC task force intercepted 3000 bags of 50kg rice smuggled into the country.
“They were intercepted along Ijebu Ode expressway with two suspects in custody.
“We were able to get intelligence report that container-laden trucks were taken to the border area, loaded with smuggled rice and sealed as if it were a container released from the seaports.”
The CGC Strike Force boss who attributed the success recorded to the other members of the team also acknowledged the Federal Government’s approval of brand new pickup for anti-smuggling which he said aided in the recent interception.
Assababullah stated that the strike force got nine vehicles from the 68 vehicles approved by Federal Executive Council for anti-smuggling and in two weeks, the strike force was able to intercept 3000 bags of smuggled rice.