From Umar Dankano, Yola
The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has confiscated petroleum motor spirit, PMS with custom value worth N199 million in Adamawa/Taraba states command.
Comptroller General of NCS, Bashir A. Adewale made the disclosure in Yola Thursday, at a press conference to intimate Nigerians of the effort of the service to combat criminal activities.
Adewale said the persistent menace of the economic sabotage through the smuggling of petroleum products remains a threat to the national economy.
He decried that the illicit trade if not checked undermines domestic fuel supply chain and also poses a direct challenge to national security infrastructure.
He also hinted that the Customs service has begun prosecution of two prominent petroleum smuggling kingpins in Adamawa for sabotaging the federal government’s efforts at ensuring product availability and price stability.
Adewale assured that, NCS will ensure that smugglers are brought to book, urging journalists to diligently follow the prosecution till justice is served on the economic saboteurs.
He noted that the operation whirlwind being coordinated by the NCS and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has made tremendous success since its inception last year as over 1.7m litres of petrol were seized in various operations.
“It will be recalled that sometime last year, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), with the support of the Office of the National Security Adviser, established a special operation (Whirlwind) with the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
“This strategic alliance has intensified surveillance and enforcement operations across critical border corridors. Operation Whirlwind’s recent successes, including the interception of significant quantities of petroleum products across multiple border communities, has proven to be one of the success stories of the effectiveness of our integrated approach to border security.
“In a clear demonstration of our sustained operational momentum, barely two weeks ago, we reported a total seizure of 1,716,656 litres of petroleum products for the year ended 2024.
“It should be emphasised that these products intended for domestic use were being systematically diverted to neighbouring countries through illegal routes and waterways. This pattern of economic sabotage continues to receive our resolute attention, and today, I am here to present yet another series of significant achievements in our efforts to effectively intensify border patrol operations and intelligence-driven interventions to protect our economy,” he said.
He added that the service has intercepted and seized 199,495 litres of petrol with Duty Paid Value of N199,495,000 in zone D comprising of Adamawa and Taraba States.
“Following intense intelligence-driven operations across the Zone ‘D’ Axis covering the Adamawa/Taraba Command, I am pleased to present details of our recent seizures under Operation.
“We successfully intercepted and seized a total of 199,495 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) being diverted through various concealment methods and smuggling techniques.
“The Duty Paid Value (DPV) of these seizures amounts to One Hundred and Ninety-Nine Million, Four Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand Naira (N199,495,000),” he said.
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