The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized arms and ammunition valued at N18.23 billion to combat smuggling through the country’s borders.
These items, including 848 rifles and 112,500 rounds of live ammunition, along with illicit drugs, were intercepted at Onne Port in Rivers State, brought in from Turkiye.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, showcased the confiscated items during a press briefing at the NCS, Port Harcourt Area II Command on Monday.
He explained that the illegal arms were hidden within other goods inside a 40-foot container, while the drugs were spread across nine containers. The concealed items included doors, furniture, plumbing fittings, and leather bags.
Adeniyi explained that these seizures were made possible through credible intelligence monitoring in collaboration with local, national, and international intelligence communities.
“Consequently, on Friday, 21 June 2024, the suspicious container was subjected to a thorough physical examination. The examination result revealed the following alarming contents: 844 units of rifles, and 112,500 pieces of live ammunition.
“The breakdown is as follows; 764 units of Tomahawk Jojef Magnum Black Pump Action Rifles, 10 units of VC Verney Carron Gunmakers Jojef Magnum silver pump-action rifles, 50 units of VC Verney Caron Gunmaker double-barrel rifles, 20 units of VC Verney Caron Gunmaker single-barrel rifles, exclusive series, Sterling High-Quality live ammunition 34g – 25 Plastic Shotgun Shells (70MM).
“The rifles and ammunition were concealed using various items such as doors, furniture, plumbing fittings, and leather bags. The duty-paid value of the container is N4.17bn.
“In connection with this, we have three suspects in our custody after securing a detention warrant from a competent court of justice. Furthermore, a thorough investigation is ongoing to ensure all those involved face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
The container from Turkiye had been closely watched due to several risk factors. The suspicious container underwent a thorough examination, revealing 844 rifles and 112,500 live ammunition, including various types of pump-action and double-barrel rifles.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) condemned the proliferation of illegal firearms and stressed the importance of strengthening border security.
NSCDC spokesperson Babawale Afolabi stated that those apprehended would face prosecution.
In another operation, the NCS intercepted eight containers loaded with illicit drugs in transit to a bonded warehouse. The smugglers had falsely declared the contents to avoid duty payments and prohibition orders.
The containers held over a million bottles of codeine cough syrup and millions of tablets of a controlled substance, with a total duty-paid value of N9.6 billion. They also contained 720 bales of used clothes worth N144 million.
The NCS declared these containers seized and stated that the items would be handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons for investigation and prosecution. The arrested suspects would be processed further, and efforts would continue to apprehend all involved parties.
“… on Saturday, 29 June 2024, intercepted yet another 8×40-foot container in transit to a bonded warehouse from Onne Port. The container numbers are TCKU6879285, CMAU5985012, CMAU7515384, CMAU4297020, SEKU5488437, BMOU4363156, MRKU4616024, and MRSU3068928.
“Upon examination, they were found to contain the following: Six containers laden with 1,050,000 bottles of CSC Cough Syrup with Codeine (100ml), 3,500,000 tablets of Trodol Benzhexol Tablets (5mg) with a total duty-paid value of N9.6bn. Two containers laden with 720 bales of used clothes with a duty-paid value of N144m.
“The total duty-paid value of the nine displayed containers is ₦13.92bn. In line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the following decisions have been taken concerning these containers. The 40-footer container of evil, bearing 844 units of assorted rifles and 112,500 pieces of live ammunition is hereby seized, alongside the other contents previously highlighted.
“The items would be handed over to the Coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, under the office of the National Security Adviser for diligent investigation, and ultimately rigorous prosecution,” Adeniyi said.
The NCS announced that licences and permits for the involved warehouses, terminals, and Customs agents would be suspended pending further investigation.
Officers found complicit in these activities would face severe sanctions, while those who upheld their duties would be rewarded as per the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.