By Abasi Ita
The Zone C Area Command of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, covering Cross River and Akwa Ibom states has confiscated about 26,625 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS from smugglers worth over fifty million naira.
The petroleum products were intercepted by the border patrol team of the command during a special surveillance monitoring patrol codenamed Operation Whirlwind initiated to checkmate the activities of saboteurs within the energy ecosystem in the country
Addressing newsmen in Calabar on the interceptions, Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, who is the national coordinator of Operation Whirlwind disclosed that the seized products are estimated at nearly N50 million
He revealed that: “Today, we have another seizure of 1065 – one thousand and sixty-five kegs of PMS.
“They contained twenty-five litres each which translates to 26,625 twenty-six thousand six hundred and twenty-five litres of PMS together with one mode of conveyance.
“With total DPV of 40, 054, 125 (forty million, fifty-four thousand one hundred and twenty-five naira.
“These interceptions were made in different dates and locations across Agbaragba -Ikom, Akansoko Road, Ikom-Ogoja Road, and other places within the zone”,
Ejibunu added that the command is synergizing with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA to monitor the supply and distribution chain network r from the loading depot up to the final destination for offloading
He reiterated the resolve of the command to dismantle and disrupt the nefarious activities of smuggling syndicates and cartels behind the diversion of PMS.
The border patrol initiative known as Operation Whirlwind is jointly coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, the Nigerian Customs Service with NMDPRA, a regulatory authority in the oil and gas sector.