The Kano/Jigawa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service said it had arrested 15 persons and seized contraband items worth N80 million Duty Paid Value.
The Command’s Comptroller, Ahmad Nasir disclosed this while displaying the seized items before newsmen in Kano on Tuesday.
Nasir said the seizure and arrest were made within the last two months in various routes leading into the state adding that the suspects have been granted administrative bails while the items would be forfeited.
He identified Babura area in Jigawa State as the most notorious route for its men and officers, where it always battled with the smugglers.
While appealing to people of the area to desist from the smuggling activities as according to him he would write to Governor Badaru Abubakar to intervene in the matter.
“Today (Tuesday), we seized four trucks of 1,842 bags of expired fertilizer, 567 Jerricans of 25 litres of Vegetable oil and 53 bales of Second-hand clothes.
Other seized items include 1,608 bags of rice (50kg), 113 bags of foreign sugar (50kg), 278 compressed blocks of Indian hemp and 20 units of used vehicles and means of conveyance with a total DPV of N79.5 million,” he said.
He said the expired fertilizer is usually sold to innocent farmers. It is not good for our soil and not good for the food we eat. But smugglers are still circulating it in the country. Anything that will destroy our soil will destroy our economy.
He commended the DSS, Police and other sister security organisations for their support in intelligence gathering, sharing and collaboration.
