Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted nine containers carrying offensive items, including arms, ammunition, Illicit drugs and second-hand clothes worth N13.9 billion.
NCS Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi disclosed this to journalists at a press conference on Monday in Onne Port, Rivers State.
According to Adeniyi, one of the containers which originated from Turkey, based on the number of risk factors associated with the importation, attracted interest of Customs operatives at the port.
Speaking on the content of the container, the Customs boss said, “We have followed its sail across continents and we’ve benefitted immensely from credible information through our collaboration with intelligence communities both at local, national and international levels.”
He disclosed that the importer had attempted to circumvent the procedure through the outlet of a private-bonded terminal.
He stated, “On Friday 21st of June 2024, the suspicious container was subjected to a thorough physical examination. Inside the container were 844 units of assorted riffles and 12,500 pieces of live ammunition concealed with various items like doors, furniture fittings and leather bags.”
Adeniyi stated that the duty-paid value of the container was N4.2bn, adding that three suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures after securing a detention warrant from a competent court of justice.
Concerning the other containers, the CG said, “On Saturday, our officers intercepted eight pieces of 40-foot containers transiting from a bonded terminal
“On examination, six of the containers were laden with 1.5 million bottles of cough syrup of codeine in 100ml sizes, 3.5m tablets of tramadol. The duty-paid value of the containers is N9.6bn. the total duty paid value of the nine containers is N13.9bn.”
On Friday, June 28, 2024, the Joint Border Patrol Team Sector 2 of the Customs said it intercepted 1,410 litres of premium motor spirit worth N30.4m within one week.
The team’s Coordinator, Mohammad Shuaibu, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, Lagos State.
