Smuggling Crackdown: Customs intercepts N98m contraband

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adamawa/Taraba Command, has recorded a series of seizures valued at nearly N98 million as part of its intensified anti-smuggling operations.

Comptroller of the Command, Mohammed Mato, disclosed this during a media briefing in Yola, stating that the interceptions were made over a six-week period between February and April 2026.

According to him, the confiscated items included second-hand clothing, petroleum products, donkey derivatives, and unregistered pharmaceutical products.

Mato explained that the operations were largely intelligence-driven and carried out across multiple border routes known for illicit activities.

He noted that among the early seizures was a consignment of 43 jumbo sacks of used clothing, along with several cartons and packages of Viagra tablets, intercepted along the Savannah–Nunan corridor in February.

In March, operatives intensified surveillance along key routes, leading to the interception of 500 pieces of raw donkey skin and 460 kilogrammes of dried donkey meat along the Mubi–Sangere axis.

Petroleum products also featured prominently in the seizures. The Comptroller said officers impounded hundreds of jerricans of Premium Motor Spirit and Automotive Gas Oil across different locations, including the Likitaba–Gembu and Mubi–Saguda routes.

He added that another batch of petrol was intercepted in April along the Ganye–Toungo highway near the Cameroon border.

Mato stressed that the operations were in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which mandates the agency to prevent the illegal movement of restricted goods, particularly petroleum products and wildlife-related items.

Reaffirming the command’s position, he said the Service would maintain a strict stance against smuggling and ensure that offenders are prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The Comptroller also urged individuals involved in illicit trade to redirect their efforts into lawful enterprises, warning that smuggling continues to threaten both economic stability and national security.