The Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, Zone C command covering the sister states of Cross River and Akwa Ibom has announced the seizure of about 26,625 liters of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS from smugglers worth over forty million naira.
The petroleum products, according to NCS were intercepted by the border patrol team of the command during a special surveillance monitoring patrol codenamed Operation Whirlwind launched to curtail the activities of saboteurs within the energy ecosystem in the country.
Briefing newsmen in Calabar on the interceptions, the national coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, disclosed that the seized products are estimated at nearly N50 million.
He stated that: "Today, we have another seizure of 1065 - one thousand and sixty-five kegs of PMS.
"They contained twenty-five liters each which translates to 26,625 twenty-six thousand six hundred and twenty-five liters of PMS together with one mode of conveyance.
"With total DPV of 40, 054, 125 (forty million, fifty-four thousand one hundred and twenty-five naira.
"These interceptions were made in different dates and locations across Agbaragbon -Ikom, Akansoko Road, Ikom-Ogoja Road, and other places within the zone."
Ejibunu added that the command is working assiduously in conjunction with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA to monitor the supply and distribution chain network r from the loading depot up to the final destination for offloading.
He emphasized the commitment of the command to dismantle and disrupt the nefarious activities of smuggling syndicates and cartels behind the diversion of PMS.
The special border patrol initiative known as Operation Whirlwind is jointly coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, the Nigerian Customs Service with NMDPRA, a regulatory authority in the oil and gas sector.
Ekanem Asuquo, Beagle News
