The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has recovered more than N2bn for the Federation Account and intercepted over 21,000 bags of smuggled rice in the last nine months.

The outgoing Customs Area Controller of the unit, Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this when he received members of the Network of Nigerian Maritime Journalists on a courtesy visit to the command in Ikeja.

Aliyu said the intercepted rice was equivalent to about 35 truckloads, adding that the unit also seized illicit drugs and other prohibited items during the period under review.

According to him, the unit’s anti-smuggling operations were based largely on intelligence gathering and targeted interventions rather than random actions.

“Our approach to tackling smuggling has been deliberate and targeted, relying heavily on intelligence-driven operations rather than random actions,” Aliyu said.

He attributed the achievements to the commitment of officers and the support of the Customs management, while stressing the importance of collaboration with the media in combating smuggling and other forms of economic crime.

Aliyu also described journalists as strategic partners in the fight against smuggling, noting that the challenge could not be tackled by a single government agency.

The visit was organised by the Network of Nigerian Maritime Journalists as a farewell engagement for Aliyu. The group commended his leadership, professionalism, accessibility and contribution to the fight against smuggling.

The Chairman of the group, Dele Aderibigbe, said the journalists had visited not to cover an event but to recognise Aliyu for his relationship with the media and his professional conduct.