The Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) said it has seized 26,950 litres of petroleum products worth N19 million being smuggled out of the country into Republic of Benin.
The National Coordinator, Operation Whirlwind of the NSC, Mr Hussein Ejibunu, disclosed this on Thursday at a news conference held at the command’s headquarters in Abeokuta.
He said that the petroleum products which consisted of 978 kegs of 25 litres totaling 26,950 litres was impounded in Zone A of the NCS consisting of Lagos and Ogun.
Ejibunu said the special squad was set up few weeks ago by the Controller-General of NCS, Bashir Adeniyi, to complement efforts aimed at cracking down on criminals smuggling petroleum products outside the country.
The customs officer added that the activities of the smugglers usually aid the artificial scarcity of petroleum products in the country forcing the prices to go up for as much as N900 per litre.
He said: “In just about two weeks of operation, Operation Whirlwind team, Zone A axis, intercepted 26,950 litres of premium motor spirit worth N19 million.
“121 kegs of PMS of 25 litres equivalent to 3,025 litres was intercepted at Oyinkansola Global Concept along Badagry/Seme road in Lagos State on May 31.
“77 drums of PMS (616 kegs of 25 litres) equivalent to 15, 400 litres was seized on June 7 at Seayab Petroleum along Imeko/Obada road in Ogun state.
“The means of conveyance is a truck with the registration number 95D4244D,” he said.
Ejibunu stated further that another 100 kegs of PMS of 25 litres equivalent to 2,500 litres was impounded on June 8 along Owode/Atan road in Ogun.
“While an equivalent of 6,025 litres consisting of 141 kegs of 25 litres was seized at Julankoly Oil and Gas along Owode-Ilaro Road,’’ he said.
Ejibunu said that the petrol stations involved in the criminal activities had been sealed while their owners would be prosecuted.
He said the menace posed by the unpatriotic act of smugglers on the Nigerian economy could not be overemphasised, hence the need for synergy with other relevant agencies to win the fight against the saboteurs.
He warned all those who were into criminal acts of sabotaging the country’s economy to either have a change of heart or get dealt with according to the laws.