The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized nine 40-ft containers laden with rifles, live ammunition and hard drugs at the Port Harcourt Area II Command in Onne with a duty-paid value of N13.9 billion.
The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, while displaying the seizure yesterday, said the containers were intercepted by officers, following credible intelligence on June 21, 2024.
He said the officers, while inspecting a suspicious 1×40-foot container with registration number MAEU165396 from Turkey, found it contained 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of live ammunition.
He said these items were concealed in doors, furniture, plumbing fittings, and leather bags, and had a total duty-paid value of N4.17 billion.
Adeniyi said three suspects, in connection with the seizure, are in custody.
He added: “Additionally, on June 29, 2024, officers intercepted eight 40-ft containers on transit to a bonded warehouse from Onne Port containing 1,050,000 bottles of CSC Cough Syrup with Codeine; 3,500,000 tablets of Trodol Benzhexol with duty-paid value of N9.6 billion, and 720 bales of used clothes with the duty-paid value of N144 million.
“These containers had registration numbers TCKU6879285, CMAU5985012, CMAU7515384, CMAU4297020, SEKU5488437, BMOU4363156, MRKU4616024, and MRSU3068928.”
On his part, the Coordinator, National Centre for Control of Small Arms and Light Ammunition, Johnson Kokomo said the seizure was a significant milestone in the security annals of the nation as it underscores the collective commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the country.
He assured diligent investigation to apprehend those behind the importation of the illegal weapons.
Also, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said the interception of the various weapons, ammunition and containers of drugs and used clothing by the Nigerian Customs Service underscores the Federal Government ‘s effort at ridding the country off illicit weapons exacerbating insecurity in many parts of the country.
Ribadu called for strengthening of existing cooperation among agencies to rid the nation of all forms of criminality.
The seized ammunition were handed over to the National Centre for Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons while the drugs were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NAFDAC).
