The Nigeria Customs Service in Sokoto have seized a petrol tanker conveying 446 kegs of vegetable oil, with duty value of about N5.7m.
The driver of the tanker and his escort were also arrested.
Nasir Ahmed, the NCS Area Comptroller in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, said Bamus Global Co. Ltd. was written on the tanker, which he said was intercepted on Sokoto-Gusau Road by the command’s surveillance team.
He said the foiled operation was another antic of smugglers, adding that the operation came barely a week after the command intercepted a truck loaded with 460 bags of foreign rice with duty value of N7.8m.
Ahmed said, “this is very new to me; seeing kegs of vegetable oil loaded in a tanker that is supposed to be carrying petrol. I’m sure they are not only running away from Customs, but also from National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, because you can see there are no labels or NAFDAC certification on the kegs.
“Though, we believe it is vegetable oil, it would still be subjected to NAFDAC test, to determine what is actually inside.”
Ahmed also disclosed that the truck driver and his escort arrested in connection with the contraband were assisting the command in its investigation.
