The Ogun State Area Command, Nigeria Customs Service, has arrested four suspected smugglers and intercepted 3, 041 bags of bags of smuggled foreign rice, 99 packs of Indian hemp, assorted vegetable oil and other items worth N53 million.
Speaking with journalists at the Idiroko Customs Area Command on Wednesday, the new Controller of the Command, Michael Agbara, said the seizures were made within two weeks of his resumption as controller of the command.
One of the suspects, according to Agbara, has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abeokuta, while others are still undergoing interrogation.
Giving a breakdown of the contraband intercepted within the period under review, Agbara, said a total of 30 seizures including 295 kegs of smuggled vegetable oil, 221 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), 24 smuggled second-hand vehicles and 14 bags of foreign sugar were also seized
He noted that 99 compressed book packs of cannabis and three bales of second hand clothing were also seized from the smugglers.
According to Agbara, the seizures were made within Abeokuta and Idiroko operational axis, adding that that he had engaged critical stakeholders in the state and neighbouring Republic of Benin, in a hid to create a synergy towards combating smuggling activities in the Command.
He said: โI have met with critical stakeholders, including colleagues at the neighbouring Republic of Benin, Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, and all heads of the sister agencies at the Idiroko border.
Agbara said he had reduced the number of Customs checkpoints on the Sango-Idiroko Road, to engender ease of doing business for law legitimate and abiding traders conveying goods to various locations.
