Customs Zone C Foils Vegetable Oil Smuggling Attempt Worth N403.5m 

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C, Owerri, has announced a significant enforcement success following the interception of a large consignment of foreign-smuggled vegetable oil.

This seizure, according to the Comptroller of the Unit, Bishir Balogun, is a result of strategic intelligence coordination and coordinated operational activity by officers of the Unit.

He highlighted the items to include: 3,310 jerrycans (kegs) of 25-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil; 10 jerrycans (kegs) of 10-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil; 20 cartons of 5-litre sunflower vegetable oil; 20 cartons of 3-litre sunflower vegetable oil.

The Comptroller explained that operatives of the Unit intercepted two (2) trucks carrying the consignment at about 2200hrs of 9th May along the 9th miles in Enugu and another one along Onitsha Agbor highway on the 7th of June 2026 following credible intelligence.

He noted that the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items is Four hundred and three million, four hundred and ninety-one thousand naira only (N403,491,000.00).

To him, “This is a major blow to economic saboteurs whose illegal importation of foreign vegetable oil undermines local industry, technology transfer, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings.

“Let me emphasised that the operation demonstrates the Service’s firm commitment to enforcing the NCS Act 2022 (as amended) and the Federal Government’s fiscal and protective measures that prohibit the importation of foreign vegetable oil”.

Comptroller Balogun urged unpatriotic citizens engaged in smuggling and related criminal networks to cease their activities and warned that the Service will continue to deploy intelligence-led strategies to protect public health, national security, and the domestic economy.

“The confiscated jerrycans and cartons remain in custody as investigations continue and appropriate legal processes commence,” the Comptroller added.