The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has raised alarm over a new trend in smuggling, where smugglers establish small storage facilities in border communities to move goods illegally across the country’s frontiers.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made this known on Monday while addressing journalists at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, Lagos. He explained that smuggling operations have evolved, with criminals now using new strategies to evade law enforcement.
“Unlike before, when smuggling was mostly carried out at night, we are now seeing increased attempts during the day, especially between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. This suggests that smugglers are adjusting to our nighttime enforcement activities,” Adeniyi stated.
The Customs boss added that smugglers now modify vehicles with hidden compartments and fake registration papers, often using plates from neighbouring countries to bypass detection.
“We are also noticing a shift from large, single shipments to multiple smaller ones, spread out over time to avoid raising suspicion. These smuggling networks operate across borders, making enforcement more challenging,” he noted.
Adeniyi assured Nigerians that the NCS remains committed to tackling smuggling and strengthening border security to curb illegal activities that threaten the economy.