Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Operatives of the Joint Border Patrol Team, Sector 3, (JBPT), comprising Nigeria Customs Service and other sister agencies, have made 82 seizures of various items with total Dity Paid Value of N92.5m.
JBPT Coordinator, Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists on the activities of the Sector in Ilorin, the state capital, saying “streamline measures, professional skills, uncommon courage and tactical operational strategies adopted had yielded positive results which had led to the seizures of the items.”
According to the Comptroller, items seized include 650 Sacks of 50 liters each of Diesel (39,000 liters), 1,735 Bags of foreign parboiled Rice of 50Kg each,
1,415 Jeri cans of 25 liters of Petroleum Products each (36,525 liters), 33 Used Vehicles,12 Bales of worn clothing, and
10 Motorcycles.
He said: “As part of efforts by Federal Government to curb smuggling of petroleum products, the Nigeria Customs Service in collaboration with Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) recently approved the reactivation of Operation White Hilux Team, designed to control the smuggling of petroleum products across the border. The team had commenced operations and the Joint Border Patrol team sector 3 is collaborating with the team and such collaboration is already yielding positive results.
“Just yesterday, the Sector 3 held a sensitization meeting with IPMAN Kwara State Chapter and Petrol station owners about the do’s and don’ts, as heavy sanction/penalty awaits any erring persons or group of persons. The sector will not stop on mass sensitization of our youths, Rice Millers Association, Market Men/Women Associations, Transport Union Associations, students, traditional institutions, Manufactures Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other relevant stakeholders on dangers of smuggling.
“Smugglers have continued to advance with their techniques of smuggling, they have resorted to using sacks to smuggle petroleum products. I want to warn these criminal elements operating in the Sector that any method, scheme or tactics used shall be uncovered, we will make arrests and prosecute such perpetrators. We are more determined than ever to make the sector uncomfortable for them, as the sector will henceforth beam its search light on trucks with sacks.
“Let me warn again that the Sector under my watch will continue to be at the forefront of anti- smuggling activities and will not relent on our oars to make smuggling activities unattractive to our teeming youths, while maintaining the high standard and professionalism in performing our duties to the service and to the nation at large. I wish to advise Community Leaders, Youth leaders, Opinion molders to shun smuggling for the better of our dear country.”
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