The Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘B’ of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kaduna State, has said its operatives intercepted 250 bags of foreign parboiled rice cunningly concealed in a fuel tanker.

The Unit’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs, Saidu Nuruddeen, made this known in a press statement issued on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the seizure followed a tip-off received by operatives patrolling the Yauri-Kontagora Road in Kebbi State.

The intercepted vehicle, a DAF tanker truck, was escorted to Kaduna, where a thorough physical examination uncovered the contraband.

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Acting Comptroller of the Unit, AM Alkali, disclosed that the truck was intercepted on August 3, 2025, based on credible intelligence indicating suspicious movement along the corridor.

The Comptroller revealed that the duty paid value of the seized rice was ₦20,510,000.

Zone B of the Federal Operations Unit covers Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory, making it one of the largest Customs enforcement zones in the country.

“Our operatives acted swiftly and professionally. Upon examination at our Kaduna office, 250 bags of foreign parboiled rice still under import prohibition were found concealed within the tanker, a vehicle usually meant for transporting petroleum products.” he stated.