Customs intercepts four trucks of smuggled rice from Benin Republic

Abiola Seun

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Strike Force team, Zone A, has once again intercepted 2,494 bags (four trucks loads) of foreign parboiled rice imported into the country.

The seizure which was coming few days after the Ogun State command of the service intercepted 7,030 bags of smuggled foreign rice in one May.

But, the strike Force team of Comptroller General Strike Force Zone ‘A’ said aside 2,494 bags of rice intercepted, another 1,288 jerrycans of vegetable oil and assorted cars with Duty Paid Value of N47 million were also seized in the month under review.

Speaking to newsmen over the weekend, the Officer in Charge of CGC strike force Zone ‘A’ Deputy Comptroller (DC) Yahaya Biu, said the goods were intercepted in various locations in the zone.

“The seized items were conveyed in different vehicles ranging from Mazda to Toyota vehicles numbering six cars, five buses and two trucks.
“The vehicles were fully loaded with the seizures and parked at customs training college and warehouse in Ikeja earlier on Thursday, June 13, 2019,” he said.
Recall that the seizures were coming barely a month after DC Biu took over the Zone ‘A’ arm of the CGC strike force.

“Other seized goods include one of the trucks and five hired buses that were fully loaded with rice were intercepted in Igbora area of Oyo axis, while five of the cars loaded with rice commodities were apprehended along Idiroko border axis of Ogun.

“Furthermore, another truck fully loaded with over 1,000 (25 litres) vegetable oil products from Malaysia was apprehended through the vibrant information profiling method of the strike force.
“The truck was intercepted on Lagos hinterland around Trade Fair, Mile 2 axis by information patrol team,” Biu said.

He, however, urged smugglers to engage in legitimate good and save Nigerians from consuming expired smuggled items, adding that failure to comply would lead to seizure.