Customs intercepts arms destined for South East at Lagos port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday said it intercepted a 40-foot container load of guns at Ports & Terminal Multi-Services Ltd (PTML) and Tin-Can Island Port destined for the South-East region of the country.

 Recalled that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has heightened the call for the Monday sit at home order in the South East.

 The discovery was made during a joint inspection exercise between Customs, Nigeria Police, the Department of State Security (DSS), and the National Drug Law Enforcement and Administration (NDLEA).

 Addressing journalists in Lagos on Monday, the acting Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Bashir Adeniyi said the discovery was through the dedication of officers and men of the service.

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He said after a thorough physical examination of a 40ft container conducted on July 5, 2023,  “The examination revealed the concealment of 10 dangerous arms and various rounds of live ammunition inside plastic drums…. 

 “The clearing agent, Mr Shokunbi Olanrewaju of Shooler Global International Ltd and Mr Joseph Nwadiodor, who was expected to take delivery of the container, are currently detained as suspects in connection with the seizure.

 “Similarly, within the same period, the Tin-Can Island Port Command of the Service, while acting on credible intelligence; subjected a 1by40ft container to 100 per cent physical examination with the relevant security agencies at the ports,” he explained.

 According to him, the physical examination uncovered 18 arms, packets of cartridges and rounds of live ammunition inside plastic drums. 

He said the details are two Sar9 Sarsilmaz Pistols; one Ruger American Pistol and three Taurus G3c – Bainbridge Pistols).

“Again, during a routine patrol along Owode/Ajilete Axis of Ogun State by officers of the Joint Border Patrol Team Sector 2, on Wednesday 12 July 2023, an unregistered Toyota Camry loaded with six sacks of charcoal, which was used to conceal three pump action rifles with 174 live cartridges was intercepted,” he revealed.

He said investigation into the seizures was inconclusive and the outcome of the Service investigations together with the seizures would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and prosecution.