The Nigeria Customs Service, Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, has seized items worth N71.7 million from suspected smugglers within August and September, according to Customs Area Comptroller, Mr. Garba Bashir. Bashir made the announcement in Yola, Adamawa State, during a briefing on the command’s recent anti-smuggling operations.
Among the seized items were 33,595 litres of fuel suspected to be destined for smuggling into Cameroon. Additionally, the Customs Command confiscated three vehicles allegedly used by the smugglers, 200 bags of foreign flour, bags of rice, and 10 bales of second-hand clothing. Bashir emphasized that these items would be promptly auctioned due to the flammable nature of some of the goods.
Bashir urged Customs officers to stay vigilant and remain dedicated to the ongoing crackdown on smuggling in the region. He highlighted that illegal trade activities undermine economic development and warned smugglers to shift towards lawful businesses.
The Comptroller expressed the Command’s resolve to curb smuggling activities, declaring, “We will not relent in this fight against illegal trade until we bring smuggling activities to ground zero in Adamawa and Taraba states.”
He further appealed for support from other security agencies and local citizens, encouraging them to provide credible intelligence to help identify and address smuggling operations in the area.
