16 foreigners arrested for smuggling in Adamawa

Posted by admin Adamawa, State News Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

SEVENTEEN per-sons, made up of 15 foreigners from Central Africa Republic and one national from Cameroun and a Nigerian, have been arrested by a joint army and customs patrol team in Adamawa State with contraband goods worth over N50 million.

Parading the smugglers, on Tuesday, the Adamawa State controller of customs, Adamawa and Taraba command, Mr Sambo Ton-Ipere, accompanied by the Brigade commander of 23rd Armoured, Brigadier–General John Nwoaga, said the arrested smugglers were part of the notorious and feared Kaskaade smuggling ring that used motorcycles to smuggle drugs and weapons across West African borders.

The customs controller and his command had allegedly been on the trail of the smuggling ring for quite sometime because of their escapades which had become noticeable due to their repeated encounters with security agents.

He said smuggling was rampant across the Adamawa border due to the long stretch of porous borderline with the Republic of CameroUn and that the customs service had to call for the support of the Nigerian Army, for additional support and re-enforcement before they could overcome the arrested smugglers.

Contrabands seized with the arrested suspects included different brands of performance enhancing drugs; narcotics; 17 motorcycles; motor tyres and other dangerous substances including a Toyota Starlet car.

While appealing for logistics support from the government in terms of vehicles and more personnel, the custom controller said the command was earned over N25 million last year as excise duties, above its targeted projection of N15 million.

He assured that with the resources at the command more success would be recorded.

He confirmed that the arrested foreigners would be charged to court after the completion of investigation.

-Tribunewp_posts