The Nigeria Customs Service has said that smugglers now establish small, distributed storage facilities within border communities, serving as transit points for onward movement across the border.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this to journalists at the Customs Training College in Ikeja.

He explained that operational data reveals several emerging trends in smuggling tactics that warrant particular attention.

Adeniyi added that, unlike previous periods where nighttime smuggling dominated, “we now observe increased attempts during daylight hours, particularly between 0900 hrs and 1400 hrs, suggesting a tactical adaptation to our nighttime enforcement operations.

“The establishment of small, distributed storage facilities within border communities, serving as transit points for onward movement across the border.”

The CGC mentioned that smugglers now use modified vehicles with concealed compartments and falsified registration documentation, including vehicles registered in neighbouring countries.

The NCS boss pointed out that these strategies highlighted the transnational nature of the smuggling networks.

“A shift from large-volume single shipments to multiple small-volume movements using smaller containers, strategically timed to coincide with periods of reduced enforcement visibility,” he stated.

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