In a recent operation, the Kano State Hisbah Board successfully intercepted two trucks transporting over 24,000 bottles of alcoholic beverages, resulting in the apprehension of four individuals, including the truck driver and the owner of the prohibited goods.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday, as the Shari’a compliance board disclosed that the suspected owner narrowly escaped arrest, making an unsuccessful attempt to bribe the personnel involved in the operation.
Malam Fu’ad Dorayi, Acting Assistant Commander General, Intelligent Crimes Dispatch, briefed journalists on the development, underscoring the board’s dedication to upholding public order in the state.
Dorayi revealed, “The culprits were four, including the driver of the heavy truck containing over 24,000 bottles of assorted beers. Others were the owner of the goods and two others. The owner of the goods fled after attempting to bribe us but was not successful.”
Dorayi urged residents to report any vehicles suspected of carrying prohibited products to the Hisbah Board, particularly along various routes such as Kano/Zaria Road, Kano/Dayi Malumfashi Road, Kano/Katsina Road, Kano/Maiduguri Road, and Kano/Hadejia Road.
During an inspection of the confiscated drinks at the Hisbah headquarters, Abba Sa’id Sufi, the Director General of the Board, reiterated their commitment to combating the smuggling of beers into the state capital through neighboring states.
The state Hisbah Corps maintains a consistent zero-tolerance policy against the smuggling of alcohol and intoxicants into Kano.
Sufi commended the efforts of the Hisbah Corps in collaborating with other stakeholders to prevent the smuggling of alcoholic beverages into the state. Notably, in 2020, Hisbah impounded and destroyed over one million bottles of alcoholic beverages valued at over N200 million, reinforcing the stringent stance against the sale and distribution of alcoholic substances in Kano State, in accordance with the state Penal Code of 2004.
