Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT), a Federal Government anti-smuggling task force in the North Central zone, has seized 44 bales of infectious fairly used clothing and shoe materials, popularly called 'tokunbo' with duty paid value of N3.6 million.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday on the sidelines of recent achievements recorded by the team, the coordinator, JBPT sector 3, Comptroller Olugboyega Peters, said that the smuggled items, seized along the Abuja-Lokoja highway, were loaded in luxury bus, Macopolo, belonging to a private transport company in the country.

The Comptroller, who said that the materials are injurious to human health, said that an acidic odour was oozing out of the bus used in conveying the items.

“One of the highlights of today's briefing is the seizure of luxury bus popularly called Macapolo, along Abuja-Lokoja highway conveying a total of 44 bales of acidic second-hand clothing and 16 sacks of fairly used infectious shoes with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N3,680,000,” he said.

Peters also said that three of the men of the JBPT were killed along the Babana border community, along the Baruten-Kaiama axis by suspected smugglers, adding that the smugglers opened fire on them and killed the officers while in the process of packing smuggled goods into vehicles.

The Comptroller, who said that the Sector 3 Joint Border Patrol Team had continued its onslaught on unrepentant smugglers within its Area of Responsibility (AoR) (North Central States), added that operatives of the sector at different times and locations intercepted and seized 3,068 kegs of 25 litres each of PMS totalling 76,700 litres in an attempt to smuggle them out of the country.

“It is difficult to imagine that despite the current fuel scarcity of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) in the country, some unpatriotic Nigerians still attempted to smuggle this product out of the country through our border.

“However, in line with the extant laws, most of the inflammable products have been auctioned to the public and with the amount generated as fees remitted to government coffers.

“Worthy of note is the fact that petrol smuggling through the sector has continued to be on the decrease in the face of sustained offensive against the illicit trade because the profit motive that drives smuggling is being scuttled. It is therefore reasonable for such people to embrace other means of livelihood.”

He also said that the JBPT operatives tracked and arrested a trailer with Registration number SRP 501 XA loaded with 550 foreign parboiled rice of 50kg each, along Mokwa-Jebba Road with a duty paid Value (DPV) of N14, 025,000.

“Prominent to note also was the interception of 2019 Lexus Jeep that cost the sum of N21,000,000.00 intercepted around Benue axis of the sector. It beats my imagination to think that a man who can afford this type of luxury car can invade customs duty of N7.3 million.

“Within the period under review, the sector has made 107 interceptions which include Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), foreign parboiled rice, motorcycle, cartons of foreign tomatoes and secondhand (worn) clothing with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N139,707,500.