Customs Seizes 256 Bags Of Contraband Rice Concealed As Beans

The Adamawa/Taraba Command of the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS) has impounded a trailer load of 256 50kg bags of contraband rice, each bag hidden in bigger bags packed with beans.

Olumoh said the rice was hidden and presented as beans to deceive Nigerian Customs personnel who have been enforcing federal government’s policy against importation of rice.

“At the end the count, we discovered that 256 bags of parboiled rice smuggled into the country were packed with the beans.”

He said both commodities and the trailer conveying them would be forfeited and warned owners of trailers and trucks to be mindful of those who drive their vehicles as vehicles found to have been used to convey contraband goods would always be seized with the goods.

The Customs Area Comptroller who gave a summary of the performance of his command, which comprises the states of Adamawa and Taraba, in the 2019 operational year, said the year recorded improved Customs operations.

“During the year under review, the Command achieved major anti-smuggling feats. A total of 74 seizures were made, with the arrest of 20 suspects,” Kamardeen Okumoh said.