The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it has seized over 3,310 jerrycans of foreign vegetable oil with a Duty Paid Value of N403.5 million in a major anti-smuggling operation.
The NCS, in a statement on Wednesday, said the seizure followed strategic intelligence coordination and sustained enforcement efforts by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C.
Speaking at a press briefing in Owerri, Imo State on Monday, according to the statement, the unit head, Comptroller of Customs, Bishir Balogun, said the seized items comprise 3,310 jerrycans of 25-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil, 10 jerrycans of 10-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil, 20 cartons of 5-litre sunflower vegetable oil, and 20 cartons of 3-litre sunflower vegetable oil.
He said that operatives intercepted one of the trucks at about 10 p.m. on 9 May 2026 along the 9th Mile axis in Enugu State, while another was apprehended on 7 June 2026 along the Onitsha–Agbor Highway following credible intelligence, “with a total Duty Paid Value of N403,491,000.”
“This seizure represents a major blow to economic saboteurs whose illegal importation of foreign vegetable oil undermines local industry, technology transfer, job creation, and foreign exchange earnings,” he said.
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He emphasised that the operation demonstrates the service’s firm commitment to enforcing the NCS Act 2023 and the federal government’s fiscal and protective measures that prohibit the importation of foreign vegetable oil.
He warned individuals and syndicates involved in smuggling activities to desist from such acts, stressing that the service would continue to deploy intelligence-led strategies to safeguard public health, national security, and the domestic economy.
Mr Balogun further disclosed that the seized vegetable oil remains in customs custody pending the conclusion of investigations and the commencement of appropriate legal proceedings.
