No fewer than 844 arms, 112, 500 ammunition, and drugs with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N13.9 billion have been intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Onne Command, Rivers State.
The intercepted items are high on the Import Prohibition List (IPL) managed by the NCS High Command as part of the Federal Government fiscal policies.
The Comptroller General of NCS, Alhaji Adewale Bashir Adeniyi made this public in Onne, Rivers State, just as he gave an insight into how the prohibited items were intercepted.
According to the Customs Chief, working within its local structure, customs officials followed diligently as the importer attempted to circumvent its procedure through the outlet of a private bonded terminal in the country. The suspicious container was subjected to thorough physical examination, thereby revealing the concealment of 844 units of riffles and 112,500 pieces of live ammunition.
Continuing, Adeniyi said: “The breakdown is as follows: 764 units of Tomahawk Jojef Magnum Black Pump Action Rifles, 10 units of VC Verney Caron 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 N4.2 billion. 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. In another development, our officers, through synergy, collaboration and intelligence sharing, on Saturday, 29 June 2024, intercepted yet another 8×40-foot container on 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 duty paid value of N9.6 billion; two containers laden with 720 bales of used clothes duty paid value of N144 million. The total duty-paid value of the nine displayed containers is N13.9 billion”.
The NCS Comptroller General also disclosed that 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 (NSA) for investigation and prosecution.
Adeniyi stated that the suspects arrested would be handed over to the centre for further processing just as he announced the suspension of the licenses and permits issued for the operation of the warehouses, bonded terminals and customs agents involved in handling the seized containers.
His words: “Customs officers who are found complicit in the perpetration of these nefarious act would be heavily sanctioned in a manner that would be approved by the Board of the Nigeria Customs Service. Officers who kept faith with the oath of allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and refused to be bribed into releasing these containers will be adequately rewarded in a manner provided by the Nigeria Customs Service”.
