Customs FOU Zone ‘C’ Intercepts 3,310 Jerrycans of Smuggled Vegetable Oil

PHOTO: Some of the seized items

By Temitope Adebiyi, Correspondent

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C, Owerri, has announced a significant enforcement success following the interception of a large consignment of foreign-smuggled vegetable oil.

The seizure, according to the Comptroller of the Unit, Bishir Balogun, “is the result of strategic intelligence coordination and coordinated operational activity by officers of the Unit.

Some of the seized kegs

The seized items, he said, are: “3,310 jerrycans (kegs) of 25-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil; 10 jerrycans (kegs) of 10-litre “Super Delicious” vegetable oil; 20 cartons of 5-litre sunflower vegetable oil and 20 cartons of 3-litre sunflower vegetable oil

“Our operatives intercepted two (2) trucks carrying the consignment at about 2200hrs of 9th May along the 9th miles in Enugu and another one along Onisha Agbor highway on the 7th of June 2026 following credible intelligence. The Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized items is N403,491,000.00.

“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. Let me emphasized that the operation demonstrates the Service’s firm commitment to enforcing the NCS Act 2022 (as amended) and the Federal Government’s fiscal and protective measures that prohibit the importation of foreign vegetable oil,” Balogun said.

He urged those that are engaging in smuggling and related criminal networks to cease their activities and warned that the Nigeria Customs Service will continue to deploy intelligence-led strategies to protect public health, national security, and the domestic economy.

“The confiscated jerrycans and cartons remain in custody as investigations continue and appropriate legal processes commence,”
Comptroller Balogun said.