Customs arrests 7 smugglers in Katsina

Seven suspected smugglers have been arrested by the Katsina/Kaduna Customs command over illegal freight of rice and other commodities across the border. The area controller, Comptroller Olusemire Kayode, during the display of the seized goods, said the suspects are presently on administrative bail after being detained for 48 hours. According to him, in the past […]

Seven suspected smugglers have been arrested by the Katsina/Kaduna Customs command over illegal freight of rice and other commodities across the border.

The area controller, Comptroller Olusemire Kayode, during the display of the seized goods, said the suspects are presently on administrative bail after being detained for 48 hours.

According to him, in the past few weeks, about 32 cars loaded with rice, spaghetti and cooking oil with a Duty Paid Value of N61 million were recovered, adding that the command has also uncovered new techniques adopted by smugglers to evade arrest. “Our intelligence is equally being improved upon as smugglers are always evolving new techniques. We just pick up a petroleum trailer, three of them in a convoy but one was carrying mosquito coils.

“In our command, we have over 600 Peugeot cars in detention, so the smugglers are now using other brands of cars, but we are equal to the task,” he assured. He listed the items recovered from the recent arrest to include: 1,892 bags of smuggled rice, 162 bags of sugar, 320 cartons of drugs, 211 bales of second-hand clothes and mosquito coil.