Justin Tyopuusu, Jalingo 


The Nigerian Custom Service on Wednesday intercepted smuggled rice concealed in bags of beans loaded in a truck carrying crates of alcohol allegedly belonging to Nigeria Brewery Plc.


The smuggled rice was said to have emanated from Maradi in Niger Republic. 


The Comptroller Nigeria Customs Service in charge of the Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone 'B'  Kaduna, Comptroller Al-Bashir Hamisu disclosed this while speaking with journalists on the activities of the service in the zone in the last two months.



According to him, a total of 51 seizures were made between 16th February  and 1st March, 2021 which include 13 vehicles mainly golf cars and 1 Tricycle used in conveying smuggled items such as foreign rice, second hand clothes, vegetable oil, spaghetti among others.


"Seized items within the period under review in addition to the ones mentioned include, 592 bags of 50kg foreign perboiled rice, 227 kegs of vegetable oil, 38 bales of second hand clothing, 67 sacks of second-hand clothing and 94 cartons of Spaghetti," he said.


Hamisu told journalists that the smuggled items within the period amounted to over N66,133 million.




This is even as he cautioned drivers against carrying prohibited items into the country to avoid having their vehicles being impounded.