Anti-smuggling taskforce uncovers illegal fuel export network as authorities intensify crackdown in Cross River border communities……
The Nigeria Customs Service has announced plans to auction 14,375 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) confiscated from suspected smugglers attempting to illegally move the fuel across the border into Cameroon.
The petroleum products were intercepted in the Calabar axis by the Customs’ Special Anti-Smuggling Taskforce, known as Operation Whirlwind, during a series of coordinated operations targeting fuel smuggling routes.
The National Coordinator of the task force in Zone C, Abubakar Aliyu, disclosed the development while briefing journalists in Calabar on Tuesday.
According to him, the seizure followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance that helped authorities dismantle a network involved in the illegal export of petrol to neighbouring countries.
“Within the past several weeks, acting on credible and actionable intelligence, our operatives successfully disrupted a coordinated network responsible for the unlawful exportation of Premium Motor Spirit to Cameroon,” Aliyu said.
During the operation, customs officers recovered 235 jerry cans containing 25 litres each and 40 drums with a capacity of 200 litres each, bringing the total quantity seized to 14,375 litres of petrol.
Aliyu revealed that the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized products is estimated at ₦14,375,000.
He explained that the successful interception was made possible through sustained monitoring and targeted enforcement activities across key border flashpoints, including Ikang, Bakassi, Ikom, and Ikot-Idareka.
Authorities believe the fuel was being diverted from domestic supply channels and prepared for illegal export, an act that contravenes Nigeria’s regulations governing the distribution and cross-border movement of petroleum products.
Aliyu stressed that the customs service remains committed to preventing economic sabotage and protecting national resources from illicit trade.
He added that the seized petrol will be auctioned in line with existing regulations, ensuring that the recovered products are returned to lawful circulation within the country.
Also speaking on the development, the Zone C Area Comptroller of the service, Momodu Dauda, described the operation as another demonstration of the agency’s resolve to combat smuggling activities that threaten Nigeria’s economic stability.
Dauda noted that such enforcement efforts are necessary to protect legitimate trade and safeguard the country’s economy from the impact of cross-border fuel diversion.
The latest interception highlights the ongoing battle against fuel smuggling along Nigeria’s border communities, where price differences between neighbouring countries often make the illegal trade highly lucrative for smugglers.
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