Nigeria Customs Service to auction 14,375 litres of petrol seized from smugglers in Calabar, valued at N14.375 million

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced plans to auction 14,375 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) seized from smugglers transporting the fuel to neighbouring Cameroon.

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The seizure was made by the NCS Special Anti-Smuggling Taskforce, Operation Whirlwind, in the Calabar axis. The Duty Paid Value of the product is estimated at N14,375,000.

National Coordinator of the taskforce in Zone C, DCC Abubakar Aliyu, told newsmen on Tuesday that intelligence-led operations over the past several weeks dismantled a coordinated network involved in illegal exportation of PMS.

“During the operation, we intercepted 235 jerry-cans of 25 litres each and 40 drums of 200 litres each, totalling 14,375 litres,” Aliyu said.

“Through sustained surveillance and strategic interdictions across flashpoints including Ikang, Bakassi, Ikom and Ikot-Idareka, we have successfully disrupted this illicit network.”

Aliyu added that the seized petroleum products were being diverted for illegal exportation, in clear violation of Nigeria’s laws governing the distribution and movement of petroleum products.

Zone C Area Comptroller, Momodu Dauda, said the seizure underscores the NCS’s commitment to protecting the national economy, enforcing the law, and suppressing smuggling activities that undermine legitimate trade.

“The NCS remains resolute in its constitutional mandate to safeguard Nigeria’s economy, secure critical national assets, and combat all forms of smuggling and economic sabotage,” he stressed.

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The auction of the seized PMS is expected to take place in the coming weeks, in line with legal procedures governing confiscated goods.