Customs impounds Dangote trucks conveying smuggled rice in consealed cement bags

Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said its officials have impounded two trucks belonging to Dangote Group loaded with banned foreign parboiled rice believed to have been smuggled into the country.

The trucks were intercepted separately while carrying a total of 303 of 50kg bags of smuggled rice.

While one of the trucks with registration number EKY 971 YE was intercepted along Ibese road in the Yewa North local government area of the state with 75 bags concealed within bags of cement, the other with BCH 531 XA was arrested along Lafenwa area of Abeokuta, with 228 bags of rice.

The Controller, Ogun Area 1 Customs Command, Bamidele Makinde, who disclosed this on Tuesday at the Idiroko border, said the command seized a total of 3,154 bags of smuggled rice in the month of July.

Also seized by the command, according to Makinde, include 150 used compressors, 14 vehicles, 153 bales of used clothes, 79 sacks of used shoes, 111 cartons of frozen foods, and 18,100 litres of petrol among others.