Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Nigeria Customs Service Special Operations Team, known as Operation Whirlwind, has successfully intercepted over 22,810 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and seized multiple vehicles involved in the illegal transport of fuel out of the country.
The operation took place along the Seme-Badagry axis and was disclosed by Comptroller HK Ejibunu, the National Coordinator of the tactical team, during a press briefing on Monday, June 24, 2024, at the Seme Area Command Warehouse.
The operation, which spanned from June 14th to June 19th, resulted in the seizure of 43 kegs of PMS (each containing 30 liters), totaling 1,290 liters, and a marked tanker with chassis number IMIAD3840TW003697, carrying 15,200 liters of PMS from Jubau Filling Station along the Seme-Badagry road.
Additional vehicles, including a Suzuki salon (Reg No: SMK 83 BK), a Pathfinder Jeep (Reg No: ABJ 591 DC), and a Toyota Avensis (Reg No: 1973), were found with specially built bunkers filled with PMS at Muse Filling Station.
In total, 124 kegs of PMS (30 liters each) amounting to 3,720 liters, and 65 kegs (40 liters each) totaling 2,600 liters were intercepted. All seized items were confiscated from TIMI BOY GLOBAL VENTURE.
Comptroller Ejibunu highlighted the tactical team’s significant impact across all zones, noting the earlier interception of 26,950 liters of PMS worth ₦19 million, showcased during the maiden edition press conference at Customs Command Abeokuta.
He emphasized the team’s ongoing efforts to curb the smuggling of PMS in Zone ‘A’, which has already led to the interception of 21,810 liters of PMS.
Fuel smuggling has been identified as a major issue, causing disruptions in the petroleum supply chain to designated states and filling stations. Intelligence reports indicate that smuggled PMS often ends up in neighboring countries or in the hands of bandits and other groups, posing a threat to national security.
Addressing the fate of the sealed filling stations and arrested suspects, Comptroller Ejibunu revealed that some filling stations were found dispensing fuel through illegal means, extending dispensers to adjacent buildings using hoses. The offenders will be prosecuted under the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) Act.
“They shall be punished according to the NMDPRA Act. We have some arrests and will prosecute them according to the law. Price disparity from one country to another led to these abnormalities,” Ejibunu stated.