Thursday, March, 5 2026 - The Nigeria Customs Service has seized 14,375 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) valued at about N14.4 million amidst hike in the pump price of petrol nationwide.
Operation Whirlwind, a special task force of the Customs
Service, intercepted and seized the smuggled petrol.
The smuggled PMS was intercepted in Calabar, Cross River
State, and was bound for Cameroon. The Duty Paid Value of the seized PMS stands
at N14,375,000.
Deputy comptroller Lucky Aliyu, disclosed this in a
statement. He stated that the latest operation revealed an unprecedented volume
of questionable cross border PMS smuggling ring.
He added that in the last three weeks, the unit cracked down
on 235 jerry-cans of 25 litres each and 40 drums (200litres each) of premium
motor spirit, amounting to a total of volume of 14,375 litres.
The total duty paid value (DPV) of the seized petroleum
products is put at N14,375,000 million which otherwise would have been lost to
the federal government.
“My men hunted down 14,375 litres Kegs of 25 litres of PMS
through sustained surveillance and strategic interdictions across identified
flashpoints along Ikang, Bakasi, Ikom and Ikot Idareka routes.
“Let me state clearly, petroleum smuggling is not a
victimless crime. It undermines the nation’s economy, deprives government of
critical revenue, distorts the domestic supply chain and creates artificial
scarcity that brings hardship to ordinary Nigerians.”
“Smuggling also empowers criminal networks that threaten
national security and economic stability,” he said.
He further explained that in line with the provisions of the
law and in keeping with the principle of transparency, accountability, due
process, the seized 14,375 litres of the PMS were disposed of through public
auctions.
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