Customs seize Dangote truck with smuggled bags of rice

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has impounded a Dangote truck with registration number ICT-13F-014, IBESE13, along Papalanto Road, in Ogun State for concealing bags of rice underneath bags of cement. This is even as the Service said the driver of the truck absconded after the truck was chased and apprehended by officials of the NCS.

Conducting newsmen round the seized truck on Tuesday in Lagos during his maiden press briefing, the Controller of the FOU, Zone A, Comptroller Haruna Mamudu said that the smugglers concealed bags of rice underneath bags of cement and lied to security operatives that the truck was conveying cement.

“These smugglers can go to any length to perpetuate their nefarious deeds. Imagine bags of rice underneath cement. This is what people are going to eat during the Yuletide. The bags of rice were concealed underneath heaps of cement bags to deceive our officials that they were carrying cement.

“But due to eagle-eyed Customs operatives, we were able to detect the bags of rice underneath the bags of cement. The driver absconded. However, we are still investigating how bags of rice got inside a Dangote truck carrying cement,” stated Comptroller Mamudu.