The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has revealed the interception of 199,495 litres of petrol, which was illicitly transported through border areas in Adamawa and Taraba states.
This fuel was hidden in several vehicles and containers, and it was on its way to neighboring nations when it was seized by the NCS’s Operation Whirlwind, a specialized anti-smuggling task force.
This incident is part of a growing list of fuel seizures since the operation’s inception in May of the previous year.
During a press conference held in Yola, NCS Controller Bashir Adeniyi shared that operations driven by intelligence within the Zone D area led to the discovery and confiscation of fuel being unlawfully shipped using diverse concealment techniques.
He detailed the seizures, stating they included four tankers with a total of 97,000 litres, 1,363 Jerry cans each holding 25 litres summing up to 34,075 litres, and 311 drums of 220 litres each adding up to 68,420 litres.
Adeniyi noted, “Our alert officers operating in regions identified as high-risk for smuggling successfully intercepted these items through targeted operations against sophisticated smuggling efforts.”
The Controller General emphasized that Operation Whirlwind is committed to preventing economic sabotage by stopping the diversion of petrol intended for local consumption, aiming to maintain stability in fuel production and distribution throughout the nation.