BY UMAR YUSUF

YOLA – Seventeen persons comprising 15 foreigners from Central African Republic, one from Cameroun and a Nigerien, have been arrested by a joint military and customs patrol team in Adamawa State with contraband goods worth over N50 million.

Parading the suspects yesterday, in Yola, the Adamawa/Taraba States Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Sambo  Joseph, accompanied by Brigade- Commander of 23 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier-General John Nwoaga, said the  suspected smugglers were part of the notorious and fearful smuggling ring (kaskaade) that use motorcycles to ferry drugs and weapons across West African borders.

Joseph said his command had been on the trail of the smugglers because of their escapades which was noticeable due to their repeated encounters with security agents along the border areas of the two states.

He said smuggling was rampant across the Adamawa border because of the porous nature of the borderline with  Cameroun, adding that the Customs sought the support of the Army  to arrest the smugglers.

Among the contraband seized from the suspects were 200 brands of assorted performance-enhancing drugs, narcotics, 17 motorcycles and vehicle tyres.

The Comptroller, however, appealed for logistic support from the government in terms of vehicles and personnel, pointing out that command earned over N25 million last year as excise duties, which was above the projected N15 million.