The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has warned those that smuggle rice into the country to desist, saying that the service under the present administration has zero tolerance for any act of economic sabotage.
The Adamawa/Taraba Area Comptroller of the Service, Mr Adetoye Francis who gave the warning while inspecting a lorry truck and two tricycles loaded with suspected smuggled rice in Mubi town, Monday, said the command has identified new ways smugglers adopted to conduct their nefarious activities.
He said that the smugglers now use tipper lorries carrying sand with bags of rice beneath in an attempt to deceive customs officials.
“The Lorry you are seeing here was arrested along the Mubi-Sahuda border road with 52 bags of rice covered with sand. They are using the cover of construction work going on in Mubi by using tippers meant for conveying sand, for smuggling, by covering the items with sand”, he said.
Francis however commended the officers and men of Mubi office of the commend for their commitment to check smugglers and smuggling activities at the border town.
He also assured them of the command’s supports at all times, and also addressed the Mubi business community on the dangers of smuggling on the economy, and the consequences if caught.
Some representatives of the Mubi business community led by Alhaji Sanusi Hassan declared support of members to customs on their efforts to check smuggling.