Customs officers from the Federal Operations Unit, Zone B, in Kaduna State, Nigeria, have seized 61 smuggled Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), textile products, and drugs, with a combined Duty Paid Value estimated at N2.8 billion.
FOU Comptroller Dalha Wada announced on Tuesday that the impounded vehicles were confiscated from smugglers operating in different locations within the North-Central and North-West zones.
This success was attributed to an intelligence-driven approach and enhanced strategies aimed at improving the operational performance of the Nigerian Customs Service.
Wada expressed concern about the evolving tactics employed by some smugglers, who now engage bandits in the northern region to transport contraband into the country. Additionally, these smugglers have created new illegal routes to facilitate the trafficking of illicit items.
Over a three-month period, the unit recorded a total of 242 seizures involving 21 different items. Notably, among the confiscated items were 61 SUVs, featuring fake government plate numbers, a ruse adopted by smugglers to avoid detection by vigilant border officers in the North-West zone.
During a presentation of the seized items to journalists, Wada characterized these smugglers as adversaries of the nation who must be dealt with decisively. He also highlighted the concerning trend of smugglers resorting to hiring bandits to aid their illicit activities.
In addition to the SUVs, the seized items included over 2,000 bags of foreign parboiled rice, cartons of vegetable oil, bales of foreign second-hand clothes and shoes. The unit handed over the confiscated drugs to a representative of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further legal action.