Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Monday revealed that it made a seizure of 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of ammunition at the Port Harcourt Area II Command, Onne.
The Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi while displaying the items at Onne, Rivers State, said three suspects have been detained in connection with the seizure, while is investigation is underway to ensure all involved face legal consequences.
He said, acting on credible intelligence on June 21, 2024, Customs officers, while inspecting a suspicious 1×40-foot container from Turkey, found it to contain 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of live ammunition. These items were concealed among doors, furniture, plumbing fittings, and leather bags, with a total duty-paid value of ₦4,171,710,000.00.
“This interception underscores our commitment to national security and public safety. We remain vigilant and committed to our duty. Three suspects have been detained in connection with the seizure, with a thorough investigation underway to ensure all involved face legal consequences,” the Customs boss said.
Additionally, on June 29, 2024, Customs officers intercepted eight 40-foot containers destined for a bonded warehouse from Onne Port. These containers contained 1,050,000 bottles of CSC Cough Syrup with Codeine, 3,500,000 tablets of Trodol Benzhexol, and 720 bales of used clothes with the duty-paid value of ₦13,915,710,000.00.
The Customs CG said the seizures result from the Service robust Risk Management System and collaboration with intelligence communities both locally and internationally.
“The container bearing the arms and ammunition will be handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons for further investigation and prosecution.
“Licenses and permits of warehouses and terminals involved have been suspended, and officers found complicit will face severe sanctions,” Adeniyi remarked.
