Customs arrests smugglers re-bagging 900 foreign rice as local

Abiola Seun I

The Adamawa/Taraba Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has arrested 15 suspects for re-bagging foreign rice to sell as local rice.

Briefing journalists yesterday, the Controller in charge of Adamawa/Taraba Command, Mr Kamardeen Olumoh, explained that the suspects were arrested in a warehouse in Yola.
Olumoh said that the suspects were found with 900 bags of rice with duty paid valued at N14.5 million.

He said: “We have 15 suspects including the manager of the warehouse and some labourers.
“We can assure you that they will be prosecuted according to the law.”
Olumoh warned smugglers in the area, pointing out that the command was seriously committed to checking their activities.

He said that the command would soon embark on raiding markets for foreign rice.
“In fact, we had a meeting with Yola market officials and cautioned them on selling foreign rice.
“We need to assist our local farmers who I am pretty sure can feed the nation,” Olumoh said.
It was gathered that the controller also showed a truck arrested with three people containing foreign rice, along Mubi-Yola road covered with bags of beans and other grains with duty paid valued at N10.3 million.