Joint Border Patrol Team Warns Dare Devil Smugglers, Discloses Items Seized

Special unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, codenamed Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) sector 3 Headquarters, Ilorin, Kwara State has warned smugglers within its jurisdiction to desist from illegal business or face wrath of law when nabbed.

This was expressed by the coordinator of the team, North Central, comptroller Olugboyega Peters, psc while addressing journalists at Ilorin, area command headquarters of the Nigeria customs on Wednesday 2nd of June, 2021.

According to him “It has been a difficult time for the Nation but in the midst of this, there are some unscrupulous elements who are still trying to derail the effort of the sector in meeting up to its statutory responsibilities and we have been dealing with them decisively”

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“The sector has made appreciable progress in its anti-smuggling activities by recording a total number of Thirty Five (35) seizures of various prohibited items within the period under review with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Twenty Eight million, Two hundred and Three thousand, Seven hundred naira (N 28,203,700)”

The items includes, 637 Bags of 50kg of foreign parboiled rice, 795 Kegs of 25 liters of Premium motor spirit of 25 liters,
15 units Nigerian used vehicles (means of conveyance), 14 Cartons of Condense Milk, 4 Cartons of Batteries, 14Tin Tomatoes Paste, 3 Bags of Sugar”

Gboyega added that “It is also important to note that the successes recorded in our operations in this Sector, could be attributed to the good motivation from the Nigeria Customs Service Management, office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other sister agencies which has boosted the morale of officers and had kept them in high spirit at all times”

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He, however warned smugglers to desist from the illegal business said his officers are battle ready for them Despite the series of attacks by dare devil smugglers/hoodlums during our course of duty, the Sector will not be distracted from executing her mandate. To this end, anyone caught disrupting our officers in the line of duty or perpetuating nefarious activities of smuggling etc shall be made to face the wrath of the law” he said

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Finally, I wish to express my unalloyed gratitude to other security agencies, Community Leaders, and Youth leaders who are showing concern and are collaborating with the team in the fight against smuggling and human trafficking.

We also thank and appreciate the press for being objective in reporting the challenges our officers are facing while discharging their statutory duties.

The sector will continue to dialogue, engage, sensitize and educate the public, especially the people along the border axis on Socio-Economic implication of smuggling as well as performance of its statutory function of enforcing partial border closure in line with Federal Government fiscal policies.