A truck load with 300 bags of foreign rice worth N5.1m was seized by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service along Kontagora road in Niger State.
The Comptroller of Customs for Niger, Kwara and Kogi, Mr. Benjamin Binga, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Minna, the Niger State capital.
Binga said Customs officers on patrol intercepted the Volvo truck with registration number SUL 616 XA loaded with the prohibited items.
He called on smugglers to desist from their activities and embrace the agricultural policies of the Federal Government aimed at revamping the economy.
“The Federal Government is trying to encourage local production of rice so that we can be self-sufficient and conserve foreign exchange.
“The command will continue to protect the borders and thwart the illegal activities of smugglers. No hiding place for smugglers in this command as all identified illegal routes have been blocked,’’ he said.
He appealed to traditional and community leaders, especially in border communities, to assist government in its efforts to curb smuggling.
“I am appealing to the citizens, especially residents of border communities, to assist us with necessary information on the movement of smugglers,’’ he pleaded.
Source: ( NAN)