Customs intercept 17 vehicles, 13 trucks of rice, goods worth N1.2bn

No fewer than 13 trailer loads of foreign parboiled rice, 17 vehicles, and other items worth N1,241,777,700 were intercepted by Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ in October.

This was revealed in a statement released on the Nigerian Customs Service’s official X handle on Wednesday, November 8.

According to the statement, the unit’s acting comptroller, Hussein Ejibunu, announced this during a news conference on Tuesday at the unit’s headquarters in Lagos. In October, the Nigeria Customs Service’s Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ intercepted 13 trailer loads of imported parboiled rice, 17 automobiles, and other commodities totaling N1,241,777,700.

The statement partly read, “While showcasing the seizure, Ejibunu explained that the 17 vehicles were seized from smugglers who wanted to circumvent the law, stressing that the Federal Operation Unit Zone ‘A’  under his watch will make the remaining part of the year more challenging for smugglers in the interest of the country.”

“Other seizures for the month under review include 14,825 litres of premium motor spirit, 657 pieces of used tyres, 202kg of cannabis sativa, 39 bales of second-hand clothing, 100 packs of tomato ketchup, four units of used motorcycles, 100 cartons of used soaps, and 730 sacks of hides and skin,” the statement added.

The acting comptroller also stated that nine individuals were apprehended during the anti-smuggling operations, with some of them currently facing prosecution in several states within the zone.

Ejibunu urged well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians to continue providing credible information to the unit in order to combat economic sabotage.