By: Bayero Ade
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized 199,495 litres of illegally transported premium motor spirit (PMS) valued at N199 million in Adamawa and Taraba states, preventing its smuggling across the border into Cameroon.
According to NAN, addressing journalists in Yola on Thursday, the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, revealed that the intercepted petrol was on the verge of being moved out of the country before Customs operatives disrupted the operation. He stated that the confiscated products comprised four fuel tankers carrying 97,000 litres, 1,363 jerry cans (25 litres each) totaling 34,075 litres, and 311 drums (220 litres each) adding up to 68,420 litres. He also noted that smugglers had attempted to conceal fuel at unauthorized locations used as illicit storage points.
Adeniyi explained that the interception was made possible through an intelligence-led crackdown carried out by “Operation Whirlwind,” a special task force established to strengthen surveillance and enforcement along Nigeria’s border communities.
Highlighting the implications of fuel smuggling, he stressed that such activities disrupt the domestic fuel supply chain, pose serious threats to national security, and contribute to economic losses. He further pointed out that Customs operatives faced significant challenges during the operation, including hazardous nighttime river crossings at Dasin waterways and the dismantling of illegal fuel depots near border areas.
Reaffirming the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to safeguarding the country’s economy, Adeniyi called for greater inter-agency collaboration to tackle smuggling activities effectively. He assured that the NCS remains determined to enforce laws that protect national resources and prevent economic sabotage.
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