Customs impounds truck laden with adulterated diesel

By Uche Usim

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’, Owerri, has impounded a truck with registration number GBB 85 XA suspected to be carrying adulterated diesel product.
According to the Customs Area Controller in charge of the unit, Mohammed Uba Garba, the truck was impounded along Aba-Owerri Road, while the exhibit was discovered to have been hidden in a specially constructed tank for illegal bunkering.
Also seized were 256 sacks of expired animal feeds used to conceal adulterated product to deceive security operatives in order to evade arrest.
The Controller expressed worry over the bad diesel as it could cause blockages of heavy duty machines and generators, which equally emit hazardous carbon monoxide detrimental to human health.
Mohammed revealed that a suspect, identified as Chibuzor Njoku, was arrested in connection with the crime and would be handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for prosecution.
Meanwhile, the FOU boss said a 40-ft container with marked MRKU 254564 loaded with 1,017 sacks of 50kg cannabis (Indian hemp) estimated at over N16,000,000 was intercepted on the Benin-Shagamu Road also on December 7, 2016.
According to him, the only suspect, James Idoko, who, upon interrogation, claimed to be a student attempted to deceive the Customs officials by fraudulently presenting copies of suspected fake Customs processed importation documents, which were contrary to what was contained in the container.
The suspect, according to the Controller, offered a bribe of N350,000 in an attempt to avoid arrest, adding that he is currently in custody with the bribe money, which now serves as an exhibit along with the container load of cannabis and will be handed over to the officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
He noted that the increasing criminality, violence and juvenile delinquency among the youths was traceable to the rampant consumption of hard drugs such as marijuana hence the clamp down on those involved in the illicit business.
The FOU Zone C also impounded a MAN diesel truck with registration number KRV 238 XB loaded with 725 different brands of 50kg foreign rice with Duty Paid Value of N24,650,000 suspected to have been smuggled into the country through the numerous creeks in Calabar/Cameroon border on December 7.
A suspect, Fredrick Eze, who claimed to be a representative of the owners of the exhibit was arrested alongside the seized truck.