A bullion van carrying 12 bags of 50kg foreign parboiled rice that were smuggled into the country was seized by the Ogun Area Command II of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The van, which had the number plate FKJ 993 BZ, also contained N24,489,500.00 that belonged to Access bank’s Abeokuta branch.
The Customs Area Controller, Olusola Alade, revealed this information to the press on Friday as he handed over the van and the money to representatives of Bankers Warehouse and Access Bank in Abeokuta.
He said that the van, which was owned by Bankers Warehouse Ltd., was intercepted by the Joint Border Patrol team in April 2022 along the Sokoto-ljoun/Joga road in the Abeokuta area of the state.
He added that the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, authorized the release of the van and the money to both Bankers Warehouse and Access after an investigation and recommendation on compassionate grounds.He also said that three people were apprehended and prosecuted for their involvement in the crime.
He stated, “On 22 April 2022, Officers and Men of Joint Border Patrol Team at the Olorunda axis of Ogun State, intercepted the used Bullion Van with Reg. No. FKY 993 BZ found to have concealed some bags of foreign parboiled rice and N24,489,500.00, along the Sokoto-ljoun/Joga road, Abeokuta axis of Ogun State.
“The foreign parboiled rice which were 12 bags of 50kg each were carefully concealed in the said vehicle.“Consequently, the said vehicle and the items were conveyed to the Customs House, Abeokuta for safekeeping. After conducting examination on the vehicle, the said amount of money was discovered and deposited at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Abeokuta branch for safekeeping.
“The vehicle was detained while the rice was converted to seizure in line with Section 168 of Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
“In connection to the above seizures, three suspects were arrested, detained, granted administrative bail and subsequently charged to court for aiding smuggling.
“In a bid to retrieve the detained Bullion Van and the money, the Bankers Warehouse Ltd and Access Bank wrote an appeal letter to the Comptroller General of Customs for release on compassionate ground.
“Based on the outcome of investigation and recommendations of the Investigation Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Comptroller General of Customs granted an approval for the release of the detained van and the money in line with the provision of Section 248 (1) and (2) of NCS Act, 2023.”