Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, says its Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone C, Owerri, has intercepted 3,310 jerry cans of smuggled foreign vegetable oil in a major anti-smuggling operation.
The Comptroller of the Unit, Bishir Balogun, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos on Monday.
Mr Balogun said the seizure was made possible through strategic intelligence gathering and coordinated enforcement operations by officers of the unit.
According to him, the items seized comprise 3,310 jerry cans of 25-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil, 10 jerry cans of 10-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil, 20 cartons of five-litre sunflower vegetable oil and 20 cartons of three-litre sunflower vegetable oil.
He described the seizure as a major setback for smugglers whose activities undermine local manufacturing, technology transfer, employment generation and foreign exchange earnings.
“This operation demonstrates the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to enforcing the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2022 (as amended), as well as the Federal Government’s fiscal and trade policies prohibiting the importation of foreign vegetable oil,” he said.
Mr Balogun warned individuals involved in smuggling and other illicit trade activities to desist, stressing that the service would continue to intensify enforcement operations across its areas of responsibility.
He said the NCS would sustain intelligence-led strategies aimed at safeguarding public health, national security and the nation’s economy.
The comptroller added that the seized products remained in the custody of the service pending the conclusion of investigations and commencement of appropriate legal action.
He reiterated the service’s resolve to curb smuggling and protect legitimate businesses operating within the country’s regulatory framework.