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By Steve Agbota
The Nigeria Customs Service said it would commence profiling fuel stations along the border stations as part of efforts to curb the smuggling of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol,.
This is even as the Service also seized 1,577 jerry cans of petrol, 25 litres each, amounting to 39,425 litres, and arrested four suspected smugglers.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this while showcasing some seized PMS products at the Training College/ Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja on Friday.
The CG, who was represented at the event by the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Hussein Ejibunu, said that the essence of profiling the filling stations around the borders is to dictate moribund and active fuel stations to identify the ones used for smuggling.
“And that is the essence of why we have to identify filling stations that are close to the border, those that are moribund and those that are active so that we will know those that Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority will give licence to,” Adeniyi said.
According to him, fuel stations found wanting would be submitted to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) for necessary actions.
“I have just mentioned that there are many and those that were found guilty would be dealt with by NMDRA. It’s not for Customs to do; we are not the ones who issued their licence,” he said.
