The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs (NCS), Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, has raised the alarm that smugglers now establish small, distributed storage facilities within border communities, serving as transit points for onward movement across the border.
Adeniyi told journalists in Lagos that the operational data has revealed several emerging trends in smuggling tactics that warrant particular attention.
He explained that unlike previous periods where nighttime smuggling dominated, “we now observe increased attempts during daylight hours, particularly between 0900 hrs and 1400 hrs, suggesting a tactical adaptation to our nighttime enforcement operations”.
“The establishment of small, distributed storage facilities within border communities, serving as transit points for onward movement across the border,” he said.
According to him, smugglers now use modified vehicles with concealed compartments and falsified registration documentation, including vehicles registered in neighbouring countries.
He pointed out that these strategies highlighted the transnational nature of the smuggling networks.
“A shift from large-volume single shipments to multiple small-volume movements using smaller containers, strategically timed to coincide with periods of reduced enforcement visibility,” he added.
GIK/APA