From LAYI OLANREWAJU,Ilorin
Coordinator Joint Border Drill Operations Sector 3, headquarters in Ilorin, Kwara state, Olugbega Peters yesterday said: “Die-hard smugglers are now using scrap vehicles, tricycles,motorcycles and bicycles to ferry good into the country”, it was gathered.
He disclosed that  desperate smugglers have also devised the use of bags of local rice to conceal foreign parboiled rice for illegal importation into the country, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said.
Addressing reporters in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, Coordinator, Joint Border Drill Operations (JBDO) Sector 3 Olugboyega Peters said in the last 24 days the sector had made 48 seizures.
JBDO sector three covers four north-central states of Kogi, Kwara, Benue and Niger.
Comproller Peters said that in the period under review the sector impounded 961 bags of foreign rice concealed in bags of local rice; 33,000 liters of petroleum truck and 45 kegs of 25 liters each of petrol; 21 bales of secondhand clothe; seven new tricycles and 25 cartons/crates of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks.
Others according to him include 12 used vehicles; 45 motorcycles and tricycle spare parts.
Said he: “Smugglers have now invented new means of not just smuggling only foreign parboiled rice of 50 kilogrammes but un-milled rice (paddy rice) in 100 kilogrammes just to deceive officers.
“One of the major highlights of today’s briefing is the seizures of five (5) trucks 1,677 bags of 100kg each of unprocessed rice around Chikanda/Okuta axis of the sector worth N 18,447,000 million. As you all know, one of the core mandate of JBOD is to prevent movement of
both human/goods in and out of the country through the land borders and this we must implement to the latter. The total value of the seized goods is N58 million.
“Yuletide period is around the corner, smugglers who want to take advantage of this period to smuggle illicit controlled and prohibited goods or engage in human trafficking should think twice, as there will be no hidden place for them due to the new patrol strategies explored
by the sector in line with the presidential directives against illegal perpetrators who are bent on derailing the nation’s economy.
“To this end, I wish to commend the patriotic collaboration and tremendous assistance we always receive from traditional leaders, eminent personalities and some host communities including members of
the press in our resolute drive against smuggling in the overall interest of our dear nation.”