The Nigeria Customs Service has seized 45,000 litres of adulterated Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel, valued at N21 million in Abuja.
The Customs Comptroller on Enforcement, Headquarters, Kayode Olusemire, displayed the items to journalists at the Karu warehouse of the NCS in Abuja on Friday.
Olusemire explained that the AGO, packaged in cellophane bags and concealed in 750 sacks of sawdust, were in two trailers.
He said the trailer containing the adulterated oil left Port-Harcourt, Rivers State for Kaduna State before it was intercepted in Abuja.
The Comptroller disclosed that one of the trailers was also embedded with two large tanks of about 3,000 litres for the purpose of this nefarious activities.
He said: “This illegal consignment is packaged in nylons of about 30 litres in each and then used sacks of sawdust to conceal them.
“It takes an intelligent work of our Officers to accost the vehicles and detect the adulterated AGO.
“We have been hearing cases of people buying kerosene and by the time they get home to light their stoves, the whole place would be engulfed in fire and using this kind of adulterated oil could destroy people’s vehicles.”
Olusemire said six persons had been arrested in connection with the seizure.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the seized items and the six suspects had been handed over to officials of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for prosecution.
Similarly, the Comptroller Enforcement displayed 237 of 50kg bags of foreign rice intercepted in Marraba, Abuja.
He said the bags of rice were concealed in a petrol tanker before the officials of NCS accosted the vehicle and seized them.
According to Olusemire, the Federal Government has invested so much on rice production, hence Nigerians must support the policy for the benefit of the country. (NAN)
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