Border Closure: JBOD, Warns Smugglers to Stay Away From Zone 3, Discloses Seized Contraband Items

By Admin

The Nigerian Custom Service under its special task force team  “Joint Border Operation Drill” JBOD, zone 3 which comprises Kwara, Niger, Kogi and Benue states has warned Smugglers in the zone to stay away said his team is ever ready in this Yuletide season to be more callous with the smugglers.

The warning was sounded by the coordinator of the JBOD, zone 3 who is also a Comptroller in the Custom Service, Olugboyega Peters during a press conference at the Custom Area Command office in Ilorin, kwara state capital to intimate public about the achievements of its team in the last one month.

Comptroller said “It is obvious that die-hard smugglers are ready to do anything to carry out their nefarious activities; they now use scrap vehicles, tricycle, motorcycles, bicycles to smuggle goods and even they go as far as exhibiting their talents by using Bags of local Rice to conceal foreign parboiled Rice with the intention to deceive our operatives”

Stressed that “within the space of 24 days, the innovative actions adopted by the sector had led to forty eight (48) seizures which bring the total number of seizures recorded since my assumption of duty as the coordinator of this sector to One Hundred and Thirteen (113) with total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N 107,669,843.00”

“It is pertinent to state that the unwavering synergy and cooperation with the host community and all security agencies in the country had translated into the seizures of the following items within the period under review; 961 Bags of foreign Rice concealed in Bags of Local Rice, 33,000 Liters of Petroleum Tanker and 45 kegs of 25 liters each of Petroleum, 21 Bales of Secondhand Clothing, 7 New Tricycles, 25 Cartons/Crates of Alcoholic and Non Alcoholic Drinks, 12 Used vehicles
45 motorcycle and tricycle Spear parts”

Added that “one of the major highlights of today’s briefing is the seizures of five (5) trucks 1,677 bags of 100kg each of unprocessed rice around Chikanda/Okuta axis of the sector worth N 18,447,000 million. As you all know, one of the core mandate of JBOD is to prevent movement of both human/goods in and out of the country through the land borders and this we must implement to the latter. The Total DPV (N58, 017, 200)”

He also said that the zone would not allow any smugglers to take advantage of the Yuletide period said smugglers should stay away from the zone and embrace legal business.

“Yuletide is around the corner, smugglers who want to take advantage of this period to smuggle illicit controlled and prohibited goods or engage in human trafficking should think twice, as there will be no hidden place for them, due to the new patrol strategies explored by the sector in line with the Presidential directives against illegal perpetrators who are bent on derailing the Nation’s economy”

He, however said, the sector 3 operatives’ zeal and determination to implement the partial closure of Nation’s land borders as directed by Mr. President will be aggressively carry out by ensuring that the zone become hostile for the smugglers.