The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it has intensified its crackdown on fuel smuggling along the Taraba-Cameroon border.

The NCS said the action has yielded results, leading to the seizure of 34,470 liters of Premium Motor Spirit and a heavy-duty transportation truck in a swift three-hour operation.

The enforcement, according to Customs, was carried out by the Operation Whirlwind unit and targeted smugglers operating in Gembuand Kan-Iyaka in Sardauna local government council of Taraba, a key transit route into Cameroon known for illicit fuel activities.

During a public auction of the seized items in Jalingo, the Comptroller General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, revealed that the successful operation was executed with support from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the office of the National Security Adviser.

Adeniyi disclosed that intelligence gathered by the inter-agency intelligence fusion center identified suspicious fuel movement patterns across the Dorofi and Kan-Iyaka axis between March 8-9, 2025.

“Acting on this intelligence, field teams launched a series of coordinated interceptions that disrupted what appears to be an emerging smuggling corridor,” he stated.

The operation, as announced by him, led to the seizure of 1,149 jerry cans of PMS, each containing 30 liters totaling 34,470 liters.

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Also, a specialized transportation truck valued at N4 million was confirmed to have been confiscated. The total duty paid value of the seizure, according to Adeniyi, amounts to N37.78 million.

The bulk of the smuggled petrol was intercepted in Gembu, the administrative headquarters of Sardauna.

Adeniyi, who views the area as “a critical smuggling hub,” said 180 jerry cans and the snuggling truck were seized while en route to the Kan-Iyaka border crossing.

Emphasizing that fuel smugglers pose a significant threat to national security and economic stability, he urged security agencies to remain vigilant.

“Petrol drives the economy, and any scarcity of the product could slow down economic activities,” Adeniyi warned, calling on residents and stakeholders to support efforts to curb smuggling and ensure fuel availability for local consumption.

He vowed that the NCS will sustain its clampdown on smuggling networks to safeguard Nigeria’s energy sector and economic interests.