The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service says it has arrested an alleged notorious smuggler who specialised in smuggling foreign rice into the country. 

 The command also revealed it secured the conviction of three persons who vandalised official patrol vehicle attached to Team "H" Roving "A" anti-smuggling patrol team at Ashipa Forest on September 22, 2017.

Addressing newsmen on the activities of the command for the month of July, at Idiroko Border Post, the Ogun State Area Controller,  Michael Agbara, said Hassan, had been on the watchlist of the command for a while before he was eventually arrested during an operation.

The smuggler, Victor Hassan also known as 'Victor Owode', was arrested recently by the anti-smuggling team of the command, at his base in Owode-Yewa, while transiting bags of the contraband.

The Controller disclosed further that the suspect who had been charged to a Federal High Court for smuggling is currently being remanded in Ikoyi Prison. 

On the revenue generation for the month of July, Agbara said the command accrued to the coffers of the federal government a sum of N1.281billion.

According to him, the command exceeded its monthly target of N643million, the feat he attributed to the resilience and patriotic zeal of the men and officers of the command.

He said a total of 7,848 bags of 50Kg smuggled rice were seized. Other smuggled items seized included 23 units of vehicles, 32 kegs of vegetable oil, 201 pairs of used tyres, 3 sacks of used footwears, 320 bags of sugar, 4 bales and one sack of second-hand clothes and 200 kegs of PMS, with total duty paid value of N137.9million.

The customs boss however assured that despite the nation's security challenges the command will not give room for the importation of light and small weapons.

Correspondent John Felix reports that the headquarters of the Nigeria customs service has divided the Ogun state command into two area commands namely Ogun area command 1 and 2.