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The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has seized 256 bags of rice packed as beans in a trailer travelling on the Yola-Mubi road in Adamawa State.
The Adamawa-Taraba Area Command of the NCS which made the disclosure at the area headquarters in Yola on Tuesday, also said it seized a truck containing 35 drums of petrol intended to be taken out of the country, and 330kg of pangolin scales acquired against international ban.
The Adamawa/Taraba Customs Area Controller, Kamardeen Olumoh, told newsmen at the area headquarters in Jimeta that the foreign rice dealer packed the rice in 50kg bags and hid them in bigger bags of beans to make his men take the consignment as beans.
Olumoh who conducted the newsmen round the seized trailer and about half of the content which was brought down and opened to show how the bags of rice were carefully covered with beans, said, “This trailer you see here was intercepted supposedly carrying bags of beans but found on examination to have concealed bags of smuggled rice in bags of beans.
“At the end of the count, we discovered that 256 bags of parboiled rice smuggled into the country were packed with the beans.”
He said two persons were arrested in connection with the seized trailer and consignment, and warned transporters not to employ drivers who might use their vehicles to convey contraband goods.
“We will usually seize contraband and the vehicles conveying them and they would be forfeited,” he warned.
Speaking of the 35 drums of petroleum product, Kamardeen Olumoh said the drums were in a truck which his men found with no trace of the driver.
“We found the truck abandoned possibly because the vehicle broke down. Officers waited 24 hours to see if the suspects would turn up.
They didn’t, so the truck was brought here,” he said.
