The Cross River and Akwa Ibom States Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it intercepted 26,625 litres of petrol at different locations in Cross River.

Kehinde Ejibunu, the comptroller in charge of the federal operations unit, Zone ‘A’ Lagos, disclosed this in Calabar on Tuesday.

Mr Ejibunu said the product was smuggled in 1,065 kegs, giving the duty-paid value (DPV) of the 26,625 litres of the petrol as N40,054,125.

The comptroller said the seizure was made at the zone C axis of the NCS by a special task force, ‘Operation Whirl Wind’.

“This particular seizure is coming on the heels of a huge seizure of petroleum products, respectively, in zones A and B, covering both Lagos and Kebbi states, recently.

“Today, we have another seizure of 1,065 kegs of PMS, containing 26,625 PMS together with one mode of conveyance.

“These interceptions were made on different dates and locations across Agbalagba-Ikom, Akansoko Road, Ikom-Ogoja Road and other places within the zone.

“It is worthy to note that in collaboration with NMDPRA, our operatives monitored the supply and distribution chain right from the depot of loading up to the final destination (retail outlets) to ensure PMS reached its manifested destinations,” he stated.

Also speaking, the comptroller in charge of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States Command, Ogbonna Gabriel, said the service would no longer condone the illegal exportation of Nigeria’s PMS to neighbouring countries.

Mr Gabriel expressed hope that the command’s partnership with host communities would enable the checkmate of the activities of smugglers in the area.

He promised that the NSC would not renege on its social corporate responsibility, especially to host communities that volunteer useful information to the command.

“We urge members of the PMS smuggling cartels to have a rethink and better go into legitimate businesses because we will continue to go after them as economic saboteurs, as there is no place for their illegal activities.

“The illegal exportation of Nigeria’s PMS to our neighbouring countries will not be tolerated by the Nigeria Customs Service,” he emphasised.

(NAN)