The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the interception of 21 trucks suspected of smuggling both food and non-food items out of the country.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the anti-graft agency disclosed that the trucks were apprehended as part of a sting operation conducted along major exit routes, particularly the Kalabiri/Gamboru Ngala and Bama roads in Borno State.
These routes are commonly used for smuggling goods to neighboring countries such as N’djamena in Chad Republic, the Central African Republic, and Cameroon.
According to the EFCC, the interception was made possible through the vigilance and diligence of its operatives, who discovered that the trucks were transporting goods cleverly concealed within their cargo.
“The investigation revealed food items cleverly concealed in the trucks that would have gone undetected but for the eagle-eyed vigilance of operatives of the Commission,” the statement read.
Further scrutiny of the trucks revealed that the waybills covering the goods indicated their destinations as N’djamena in Chad Republic, the Central African Republic, and Cameroon.
The EFCC emphasized that the interception of these trucks is a significant step in curbing the tide of food insecurity caused by the illicit activities of smugglers across the country.
“The arrest of the trucks is expected to stem the tide of food insecurity occasioned by unscrupulous antics of smugglers across the country,” the statement continued.
“Suspects arrested with the trucks are being profiled and will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”
