Customs impounds N26.4m smuggled rice, vegetable oil

The Federal Operations Units (FOU) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Zone ‘A’ Ikeja has impounded 1,499 bags of rice and 3,071 cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products valued at N26.4million.

According to the Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Umar Mohammed Dahiru, the illegal consignments were seized by a surveillance team led by Deputy Suprintendent of Customs, Ohagwu Jude.

He explained that the seizures were effected at  the Iteku waterside based on an intelligence report “that smugglers were using the axis to illegally bring rice into the country”.

Dahiru in a statement issued by the unit’s Public Relation Officer, Uche Ejesieme, explained that  the smuggler “obviously took advantage of the roughness and inaccessibility of the terrain to attempt their nefarious trade”.

The Controller said the team made effective profiling of information, coupled with strategic planning, “which eventually led to the success recorded”.

He said: “The team had to device a means of accessing the terrain, disguised using flying boat through the Agbara waterways while back up team came in through Lusada in Ogun State. The move was deliberately undertaken to ensure that the smugglers did not preempt the motive of my operatives”.He praised the resilience and deep commitment of the team “in going the extral miles to effect the remarkable seizure”.