The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its crackdown on fuel smuggling, seizing a massive 34,470 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the Taraba-Cameroon border.
In a swift operation led by the Operation Whirlwind unit, customs officials intercepted smugglers in Gembu and Kan-Iyaka, two key transit points for illegal fuel exports. The seizures also included a specially modified smuggling truck.
During a public auction in Jalingo, Customs Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi confirmed the bust, revealing that intelligence reports from the National Security Adviser’s office pinpointed suspicious fuel movements between March 8 and 9. Acting swiftly, field teams executed targeted interceptions that disrupted a rising smuggling network.
“These operations led to the seizure of 1,149 jerry cans, each containing 30 liters of PMS, amounting to 34,470 liters in total. Additionally, a customized fuel-smuggling truck, valued at N4 million, was confiscated,” Adeniyi stated. The entire haul, including the vehicle, has a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N37.8 million.
The Customs chief warned that fuel smuggling threatens national security and disrupts local petroleum supply chains. He urged residents and security agencies to work together in safeguarding Nigeria’s fuel distribution system, emphasizing that petrol scarcity could cripple economic activities.
This latest operation highlights the government’s determination to curb illicit fuel trading and protect the country’s energy sector.
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