Customs intensifies fight against smuggling inn South Region.

The campaign, Customs said, seeks to secure the involvement of customs officials, administrative authorities, businesses and other stakeholders in efforts to disrupt fraud and smuggling networks operating across the region. 

To kick start the operation, a delegation from the Directorate General of Customs visited the South I Customs brigade. The delegation was received by the Head of the South I Customs Sector, Francis Pierre Bilounga. 

He was accompanied by the Commander of the Active Group, Noellie Kenfack; the Head of the Performance Monitoring Service, Abraham Nyobe; and the Head of the General Affairs Service, Mathurin Ndongo.

During the meeting, Félix Ekolle, Commander of the Special Customs Intervention Group and Chair of the campaign team, presented the mission’s roadmap. 

According to the Directorate General of Customs, the campaign is intended to secure the full participation of stakeholders within and outside the customs administration in cutting off the channels used by fraud and smuggling networks.

The delegation also met South Regional Governor Félix Nguele Nguele, who acknowledged that drinks are transported across borders to supply markets in the South Region and other parts of Cameroon. 

According to Customs, Nguele Nguele welcomed the campaign and condemned tax non-compliance by some economic operators. He also stressed the need to educate stakeholders about the economic and social effects of smuggling. 

It emerged from the meeting that the authorities intend to pursue measures that take into account social stability, economic activity, employment creation and the mobilisation of customs revenue.

Customs targets revenue losses, unsafe products

According to Customs, disrupting illegal supply chains would enable the state to recover customs duties and taxes that are lost when products enter the country outside authorised procedures. 

The administration said tighter surveillance and seizures could improve revenue collection and enforcement performance while discouraging smuggling networks and strengthening controls along Cameroon’s land and maritime borders.

The campaign, it was added, also targets the impact of smuggled drinks on breweries, authorised importers and other businesses operating within the formal economy. Illegally traded products, Customs said, are often sold at lower prices because they evade duties and regulatory requirements.

Customs continued that removing such products from the market would help establish fairer trading conditions for legal operators. It would also support investment in domestic production, stabilise legal sales and help companies maintain jobs, the directorate noted.

Customs further explained that the operation seeks to protect consumers by removing drinks that may be counterfeit, toxic or expired from the market. 

According to the directorate, revenue recovered through tighter controls also contributes to state funding for public infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and roads, the administration said.

Following the Ebolowa meetings, the campaign team moved to Kyé-Ossi, a strategic commercial town located at the junction of Cameroon’s borders with Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

The Directorate General of Customs said the border town would serve as the next stage in building joint action against smuggling and promoting compliance with customs and tax regulations.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3897 of Wednesday September 02, 2026