The Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi State Command Tuesday said it has intercepted 304 kegs of PMS prepared for onward smuggling to neighbouring countries of Togo and Niger through Kebbi waterways in the Kamba border areas.
Briefing journalists about the seizures, Customs Area Controller, Kebbi Command, Dr Ben Oramalugo said his command got a tip-off about the smuggling activities at an AP filling station in Yauri area of the state and instantly detailed his officers and men to the scene where the 304 kegs of 25 litres PMS were intercepted.
He said, “The PMS were already loaded for onward smuggling out of the country. We cordoned the area and sealed the filling station to evaluate the kegs of PMS.”
The controller said when the smugglers sighted their vehicles, they mobilised themselves to resist evacuation of the kegs of PMS.
“But my men maintained their grounds until we got reinforcement from the Army to disperse the smugglers”, he said.
He said the seizures the command made during the period under review include: 16,375 litres of PMS, 210 cartoons of foreign spaghetti, 34 bales of second hands clothes and 109 cartoons of confectionaries with duty paid values of over N23m.
“In these efforts, the command has recorded tremendous success in revenue. In March we were able to generate the sum of N144.8million,” the controller said.