Clement Ekong 
The Adamawa /Taraba Area Command of the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) has vowed to reduce the activities of smuggling of petroleum products within the borders of Nigeria/Cameroun Republic.
This, the Command vowed to intensify efforts following the backdrop of renewed smuggling of the petroleum products by smugglers to neighbouring countries.
The Comptroller of Customs in charge of Adamawa/Taraba Command, Garbage Bashir told newsmen in Yola on Friday that between the 25th of May 2024 when the Operation Whirlwind was launched in Yola by the Comptroller General of Customs, Mr Bashir Adeniyi smuggling of petroleum products has intensified
“Customs by our mandate will not rest on our oars to ensure that perpetrators of the nefarious acts are brought to book”, Bashir Adeniyi maintained.
” It is in this direction that our men intensified their patrol of the borders and it is yielding fruitful results with the arrest of 17 cases of seizures between May to date”, he further disposed .
He disclosed that only last week, 18 drums and 795 jerry cans of PMS were loaded in boats at the River bank in Yola preparatory to take off for Cameroun were intercepted by men of the command .
The Comptroller added that during the period under review, men of the command under surveillance also intercepted some vehicles at the Woro Boki Riverline areas equally heading towards the Cameroun Republic.
The Customs Boss explained that smuggling of petroleum products to the Republic of Cameroun has continue to flourish due the high exchange rate of the Cameroonian currency over the Naira.
But, the Nigeria Customs, the Comptroller stated will not relent in giving the smugglers more than what they bargained for until smuggling is reduced if not completely eradicated in Adamawa and Taraba states.
Comptroller Bashir Adeniyi called on the border communities and the general public to cooperate with Customs in curtailing the illicit and nefarious a to cities of smugglers that is ruing the economy of the Nation.
