Smuggling: Customs impound Dangote truck, declare driver wanted

The Adamawa-Taraba Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has impounded a truck belonging to the Dangote Group, which was caught with 150 bags of suspected smuggled rice along the Mayo-Belwa-Yola Road.

The Area Controller, Adamawa-Taraba Command, NCS, Kamardeen Olumoh, while making the disclosure to journalists in Yola, said the driver who is on the run, had been declared wanted for criminal prosecution.

He said the truck driver evaded arrest, adding that the service was soliciting the cooperation of his employers, the Dangote Group, to hand him over for prosecution.

Olumoh also announced that the command generated N168m as revenue in 2018, which fell short of its target of N197m.

He said, “To cap up the seizures for the year, a Dangote truck carrying 150 bags of foreign rice was intercepted along the Mayo-Belwa Road on the last day of 2018.

“The driver escaped but we are sure that Dangote, being a responsible corporate entity, will identify and apprehend the driver and hand him over to us for prosecution.”

Olumoh added that the seizures made by the customs last year exceeded those of 2017, adding that most of the seized items were smuggled foreign rice.

“The command seized 1,1740 bags of rice, used vehicles, second-hand clothing and 21,270 litres of petroleum products, all with duty paid value of N59.7m,” the area controller stated.

He lauded the contributions of customs personnel in Adamawa and Taraba states, which share boundaries with Cameroon, for the seizures made by the command.

He also stated that three suspects were being tried in court for smuggling.