Joint Border Patrol Team Intercepts N92m Goods in Three Months
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Coordinator, the Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) North Central Zone, Sector 3 Ilorin, Mr. Olugboyega Peters, has said that his team has intercepted smuggled goods worth N92 million between April and July this year.
Peters disclosed this in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, yesterday while speaking with journalists on the activities of the team in the last three months.
He said that, among of the goods seized during the operations are 650 sacks of 60 liters each of Diesel (39,000 liters); 1,735 bags of foreign parboiled rice of 50 kg each; 1,415 jeri cans of 25 liters of petroleum products each (36,525 liters); 33 used vehicles, 12 bales of worn clothing and 10 motorcycles.
He said: “As part of effort by federal government to curb smuggling of petroleum product, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in collaboration with Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) recently approved the reactivation of Operation White Hilux Team, designed to control the smuggling of petroleum products across the border.
“The team had commenced operations and the JBPT of Sector 3, is collaborating with the team and such collaboration has started yielding positive results.
“Just on Tuesday, the Sector 3 held a sensitisation meeting with the IPMAN, Kwara State Chapter and petrol station owners about the do’s and don’ts, as heavy sanction/penalty await any erring persons or group of persons.
“The sector will not stop on mass sensitisation of our youths, the Rice Millers Association, the Market Men/Women Associations, the Transport Union Associations, students, traditional institutions, the Manufactures Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other relevant stakeholders on dangers of smuggling.”
The coordinator pointed out that “the sector under my watch will continue to be at the forefront of anti- smuggling activities and will not relent on our oars to make the smuggling activities unattractive to our teeming youth.”
He stressed that his team would continue to maintain the high standard and professionalism in performing its duties to the service and to the nation at large.
The coordinator, therefore, warned smugglers in the zone saying that, his team would not hesitate to deal decisively with anyone caught engaging in the act of smuggling across the zone.
