The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has handed over five tanker trucks conveying suspected diverted diesel to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for further investigation in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The handover took place on Friday, October 23, 2026, at the Borno/Yobe Area Command Headquarters, following the interception of the tankers by Operation Whirlwind, a special anti-smuggling unit of the NCS, on July 6, 2026.
The operation was conducted based on credible intelligence aimed at curbing the illegal diversion and smuggling of petroleum products.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abubakar Aliyu, reaffirmed the unit’s commitment to combating petroleum smuggling and other related economic crimes.
Aliyu warned individuals and groups involved in the illicit trade that enforcement efforts would be intensified, declaring that “the tide is turning against petroleum smuggling, illegal diversion, and all associated economic crimes.”
He said the operation would strengthen surveillance, improve intelligence gathering and intensify enforcement to prevent the unauthorised movement of petroleum products across the country.
The five intercepted tanker trucks bear registration numbers BBR 634 XA, BRK 828 MF, YLA 243 XU, KTN 278 XZ and MUS 134 BX.
The transfer of the trucks to the NMDPRA is expected to facilitate further investigation into the suspected diversion of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, and establish the circumstances surrounding the movement of the products.
Operation Whirlwind also emphasised the importance of collaboration between the NCS, NMDPRA and other security agencies in protecting Nigeria’s petroleum resources and tackling economic crimes.
Aliyu assured that the unit would sustain its intelligence-led enforcement operations to disrupt petroleum smuggling networks and prevent the illegal diversion of petroleum products nationwide.
