Customs expresses  concerns over rising smuggling of rice with Dangote trucks

The Nigeria Customs Service has raised  alarm over continued interception and seizure of Dangote Group trucks, being used for smuggling purposes, despite Customs’ intensified campaigns against rice smuggling into the country.

The remark was against the backdrop of another seizure by the anti-smuggling Command Patrol Team, Niger/ Kogi Command, around Minna-Lambata-Suleja axis.

In the current instance, the Command Impounded yet, another DANGOTE Truck with REGISTRATION NUMBER- XA 297 –NAK, transporting 700 bags of rice, worth N 11,900,000, allegedly smuggled

It will be recalled that few months ago; a similar seizure of DANGOTE Truck with Reg. No. DAL 769 XA DSR-1B-019 conveying 520 bags of 50kg rice worth N8, 840,000, concealed with 50 bags of Sugar worth N 697,000 was intercepted along Mokwa axis of the Command.

“It is worrisome that some Nigerians remain unrepentant even as they continue to lose their goods, not even the Federal Government’s visible efforts in transforming the Agricultural sector; especially in the area of rice production has touched their conscience to avoid smuggling of rice”, B.O Lomba, the Customs image maker of the command declared.

He revealed that the Customs Area Controller had also renewed his strategies and adopted some proactive measures towards unmasking smugglers antics and these were already yielding positive results.
In his word: “The Command has keyed into Federal Government policies and the Next Level Agenda, to encourage home-grown rice, which will go a long way in creating employment opportunity to our teaming youth”, Lomba further said.

“To this end, the CAC appealed to the general public to always embrace legitimate means of livelihood and to avoid smuggling in all its ramifications.

“The eagle eye is all around Niger/Kogi Command to uncover and suppress smuggling to the barest minimum, in the interest of the economic prosperity and national development”, the image maker concluded.