Operation Whirlwind Intensifies Crackdown on Economic Sabotage, Hands Over 3 Suspected Diverted Fuel Tankers to NMDPRA in Kano
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified its crackdown on economic sabotage and the illicit diversion of petroleum products, with its Operation Whirlwind handing over three tanker trucks conveying suspected diverted petroleum products to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in Kano for further investigation.
The tankers were intercepted on July 25, 2026, along the Daura-Kano Road following credible intelligence and sustained surveillance by operatives of Operation Whirlwind across the Kano, Jigawa and Katsina axis.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Deputy Comptroller of Customs A.L. Aliyu, said the tankers, with registration numbers FGE 570 XB, KMG 361 XA and KMC 69 ZR, were conveying suspected diverted Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Aliyu said preliminary investigations indicated that the petroleum products were originally destined for Birnin Kebbi and Argungu in Kebbi State, according to the NMDPRA manifest.
However, he said discrepancies and suspicious circumstances surrounding the movement of the tankers prompted their interception by Operation Whirlwind operatives.
He said the operation formed part of the Customs Service’s broader campaign against the diversion, smuggling and illicit trafficking of petroleum products, which he described as serious threats to the national economy and energy security.
According to him, under the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, Operation Whirlwind has expanded its operational mandate beyond PMS to include Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK), LPG and other regulated petroleum products.
Aliyu explained that the illegal diversion of petroleum products undermines government revenue, disrupts the legitimate petroleum supply chain, creates artificial scarcity and threatens national energy security.
He said the handover of the tankers to the NMDPRA would enable the regulatory authority to conduct comprehensive investigations, including verification of the products, accompanying documentation and the circumstances surrounding their movement.
He added that appropriate sanctions would be imposed where violations were established.
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The National Coordinator reaffirmed the commitment of Operation Whirlwind to strengthening intelligence gathering, surveillance and inter-agency collaboration to detect, deter and dismantle criminal networks involved in petroleum-related economic crimes.
He warned that individuals and entities found culpable would be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Also speaking, the Acting Area Comptroller of Customs in charge of the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Usman Adamu, assured Operation Whirlwind of the Command’s continued support for successful operations within the zone.
Adamu said the Command would sustain its collaboration with the NMDPRA, stressing that inter-agency cooperation remained critical to protecting the national economy and ensuring compliance with petroleum regulations.
Representing the Kano State Coordinator of the NMDPRA, the Head of Operations, Mr Murtala Abubakar, commended the Customs Service and Operation Whirlwind for their efforts in curbing the diversion of petroleum products.
Abubakar said the Customs Service had helped to address manpower challenges confronting the NMDPRA by deploying personnel to support regulatory enforcement operations.
He described the deployed Customs officers as being “everywhere” and working round the clock to monitor and check illicit activities within the petroleum distribution chain.
He assured that the NMDPRA would conduct discreet investigations into the intercepted tankers and take appropriate regulatory and legal measures against anyone found to have violated the law.
“I assure you that the NMDPRA will take appropriate measures to ensure that the culprits are served with the justice they deserve accordingly,” he said.
PRNigeria reports that Operation Whirlwind is an anti-smuggling initiative of the Nigeria Customs Service, implemented in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the NMDPRA to curb the illegal cross-border movement and diversion of petroleum products.
The operation is primarily aimed at preventing the illegal diversion and smuggling of PMS and other petroleum products to neighbouring countries as part of efforts to combat economic sabotage and protect Nigeria’s energy security.This version is suitable for publication, with the headline retaining the strongest news angle: Customs’ intensified campaign against economic sabotage and petroleum diversion.
By PRNigeria
