Smuggling reduced drastically after removal of subsidy – Customs

The Kwara State Command of the Nigerian Customs Friday said smuggling of fuel and other commodities has drastically reduced after the removal of subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Customs Area Comptroller, Kwara Customs Command, Kehinde Dehinde Ilesanmi, disclosed this during a media briefing on the scorecard from April to June 2023.

He said, “The command seized 813 bags of 50kg per boiled rice and 24,950 litres of PMS in 998 jerrycans which is a truckload and 14 kegs of 25 litres of vegetable oil from April to June from different border locations of Okuta, Chikanda and Bukuru axis in the state.

“The smuggling of PMS and other commodities has drastically reduced because of the subsidy removal. The capacity of smugglers to purchase and transport fuel now has reduced just as it has affected fuel consumers.

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“Immediately after the removal of the subsidy by Nigeria, we heard of demonstrations in our neighbouring countries. Reconciling the situation in our borders after the announcement of the policy, smuggling has drastically reduced especially of petroleum products. But smugglers will not relent,” he said.

He said the command has generated the sum of N6,246, 485,827.97, which represent 9.14 percent of revenue increment compared to the preceding year 2022.