Comptroller, Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone “B”, Kaduna, Chedi Wada, has lamented that smugglers have been using fake presidential number plates to deliver vehicles across the country.

According to Wada, they have also been dubiously using such fake number plates belonging to various state and local governments, MDAs, Emirate Councils, and other governmental institutions.

Wada disclosed this when he received Bashir Rabe-Mani, Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, Kaduna Zonal Office, who paid him a courtesy call in Kaduna.

He said, ”Customs will not relent; we will continue to do our best by not allowing smugglers to use the old tactics of using the presidential number plates and other governmental institutions to smuggle luxurious vehicles into the country.

”This is one of the menaces we are having. It is saddening how vehicle smugglers are ridiculing the apex seat in the country by using presidential fake plate numbers on newly smuggled cars to deceive customs,”

According to him, customs are well-trained personnel and can easily identify fake numbers and cannot be played by the old tricks.

The comptroller said, “We are not happy with them, it is too bad for them to be playing with the presidency, that’s why we always put a heavy hammer on those using the presidency on false instances on smuggled vehicles.

“Let them respect the presidency, we must respect the presidency that is leadership.”

Wada also disclosed that they had impounded lots of such vehicles with fake number plates including those of local governments, ministries, and lots of government institutions.

He said that the service was saddled with the responsibility of suppressing anti-smuggling activities, revenue, and trade facilitation while implementing other governmental policies.

The comptroller said that the service was committed to saving Nigeria’s economy by bringing smugglers down to the ground by suppressing their activities.

END.