Customs Intercepts Containers With Arms, Illicit Substances Worth N13.9bn
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service have intercepted nine containers carrying offensive items including arms, ammunition, Illicit drugs and second-hand clothes worth N13.9 billion.
The Comptroller-General, NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists in Onne Port, Rivers State.
He said one of the containers which originated from Turkey, based on the number of risk factors associated with the importation, became a subject of interest to the service.
Giving details of the container, the CG 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,”
Adeniyi disclosed that the importer tried to circumvent the procedure through the outlet of a private-bonded terminal.
He said that on Friday, 21st of June 2024, the auspicious container was subjected to a thorough physical examination. Inside the container were 844 units of assorted riffles and 12,500 pieces of life ammunition concealed with various items like doors, furniture fittings and leather bags..
According to him, the duty-paid value of the container was N4.2bn.
He added that three suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures after securing a detention warrant from a competent court of justice.
On the other containers, Adeniyi said operatives intercepted eight pieces of 40-foot containers transiting from a bonded terminal, on examination of which, six of them were laden with 1.5 million bottles of 100ml codeine cough syrup and 3.5m tablets of tramadol. “The duty-paid value of the containers is N9.6bn and the total duty paid value of the nine containers is N13.9bn”, the customs boss concluded.
