From smuggled fuel to a luxury SUV — and even trafficked wildlife — Customs says February operations delivered major breakthroughs.
The Nigeria Customs Service Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘D’ in Bauchi has intercepted contraband worth ₦52.6 million and rescued five live pangolins from suspected traffickers.
Comptroller Abdullahi Ka’ila said the seizures followed intensified surveillance and intelligence-led patrols across the zone. Among the items intercepted were a 2015 Mercedes Benz ML350 4Matic allegedly smuggled through the Abuja–Nasarawa corridor, 15,300 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) packed in 612 jerricans in Adamawa, and 33 cartons of foreign soap that failed import regulations.
In a significant wildlife protection move, officers arrested three suspects in Jalingo, Taraba State, and rescued five live pangolins — a species protected under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Ka’ila said the total Duty Paid Value of the seizures stood at ₦52,664,071, stressing that wildlife trafficking violates provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and remains a serious transnational crime.
He added that the rescued animals would be handed over to the Greenfingers Wildlife Initiative for proper care, in line with conservation efforts.
The operation, he noted, aligns with the directives of Comptroller-General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to dismantle organised smuggling networks and safeguard Nigeria’s economy and biodiversity.
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