The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has raised alarm over the increasing sophistication of smuggling operations, revealing that smugglers have now established secret storage facilities at border communities to conceal contraband goods before transporting them into the country.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this while addressing journalists during an operational review meeting in Abuja. He explained that these illicit warehouses serve as transit points where smugglers stockpile goods such as rice, textiles, used vehicles, and petroleum products before sneaking them past security operatives.
Adeniyi further stated that customs officers, in collaboration with other security agencies, have intensified intelligence gathering and surveillance to dismantle these smuggling networks. He also warned that individuals found aiding or abetting smuggling activities, including warehouse owners and transporters, would face prosecution.
The revelation underscores the ongoing battle against smuggling, which has long undermined Nigeria’s economy by reducing government revenue, distorting local markets, and encouraging illegal trade. The customs service has reiterated its commitment to enforcing trade regulations and ensuring that only legally imported goods enter the Nigerian market.