Anti-smuggling: Joint border operation rakes in N135m in one month

Joint border drill operations against smuggling in the North Central states have seized various prohibited items, including arms and ammunitions with a total duty value of N135million in one month.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday, the coordinator of the joint task force in the zone, Muhammad Uba Garba, said his team also seized 57 units of vehicles of various types,1,355 bags of foreign rice, five long single barrel guns, eight live cartridges, knives, 20 bags of dried yam flour, 1,728 jerry cans of petrol and 155 drums of petroleum products within the period.

He said other items seized included,16 motorcycles,12 bales of second-hand clothes and textile materials, 68 jerry cans of groundnut oil, 322 cartons of foreign cosmetics, as well as nine cartons of foreign tin tomatoes.

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The coordinator said that the team also repatriated seven Beninoise,13 Nigerien, and granted administrative bail to six suspects.

He noted that the seizures were made at different locations within the states under the control of the team.

Garba, who said that border closure has created job opportunities to teaming youths, helped in reducing banditry, human trafficking and illegal migrants, added that it has reduced smuggling.

“Border closure enhances the production of locally made goods, helps in tackling security challenges like banditry, kidnapping, smuggling, cattle rustling and illegal migrants and increases in Revenue Generation. It also improves Synergy among other security agencies, reduction of daily consumption of petroleum product due to blockage of illegal exportation based on statistics obtained”, he said.

The coordinator also said the team will ensure total compliance that will translate to effective revenue generation, reduction in smuggling, facilitation of legitimate trade and protection of national security.

Garba said that the sector will continue to sensitise and educate members of the public on the reasons behind the closure of the borders.

He said the joint borders operation team will also ensure enforcement of government policies with strict adherence to laws.