At least 1,000 bags of smuggled foreign rice stocked in a residential building at Gombi town in Adamawa State have been seized by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service under the Adamawa and Taraba States Command.
The Customs Comptroller in charge of the two states, Mr. Kamardeen Olomuh, who made this known during the seizure of the contraband on Tuesday in Gombi, said the foreign rice was smuggled from neighbouring Cameroon Republic.
He said the smuggled rice was concealed and stored in a residential apartment in Gombi town following intelligence reports.
According to him, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and total boarder closure, some unpatriotic Nigerians engaged in smuggling, which is most unfortunate.
“These unscrupulous elements who always making their ways to frustrate government efforts, would surely find there ill gotten equally disappointed.”
The Comptroller stated that the same law that would catch up with smugglers is also applicable to the providers of their residential buildings for the storage of smuggled items.
He appealed to community leaders to continue to warn their people against providing their residential houses for storing smuggled items, which equals smuggling.
The controller added that anybody found liable of the offense would face five years jail term without an option of fine, as backed by the relevant Customs Act.
