By Daud Olatunji, Abeokuta

Ogun State Area Comptroller, Nigeria Customs Service, Ade Dosumu, says traditional rulers in the border areas of the state have been involved in the fight against smuggling.

The Comptroller also disclosed that  youths in the volatile areas of the state have been recruited as informants to curb the problem of smuggling.

Addressing a press conference at Idiroko in Ipokia, Ipokia local government area of Ogun State, Dosunmu disclosed that due to the collaboration between the command and the community, it  recorded a total of N568.4 million in January as against N381.8 million recorded in the same period in 2012.

He however advised  smugglers to invest their energy and money in legitimate businesses, adding that the Customs had facilitated the operation of free trade zones which, according to him, is capable of producing over 5,000 jobs.

”This Command has embarked on anti-smuggling campaign to take the smugglers out of the illegitimate business and efforts are on to partner the community to achieving a smuggling free environment.

”Since the 5th of September 2012 when I assumed office as the Area Controller of this command, I have been able to partner with the traditional institutions, youths and community leaders of the borderline communities.

”These relations have been so well-managed that they paid off. The incidences of attacks on officers by smugglers and youths from these communities have drastically reduced because youths have become informants to our operation officers. This has boosted our revenue collection occasioned by the intensified anti-smuggling campaign.  ”For the year 2012, the command posted a remarkable revenue collection of N5,316,329,645.02 as againstN3,677,214,589.47 recorded in 2011. This is a cumulative difference of N1.7 billion recorded in 2012”.