The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has made a significant interception of nine containers carrying dangerous and illegal items, including arms, ammunition, illicit drugs, and second-hand clothes. The total value of the seized goods is estimated at N13.9 billion. This major operation took place at the Onne Ports in Rivers State.
Comptroller-General of the NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, shared details of the operation while addressing journalists at the Onne Port on Monday. According to Adeniyi, one of the containers, which originated from Turkey, attracted attention due to various risk factors associated with its importation.
“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 explained.
He revealed that the container was subjected to a thorough physical examination on June 21, 2024. Inside, the authorities found 844 units of assorted rifles and 12,500 pieces of live ammunition. These items were cleverly concealed with various goods such as doors, furniture fittings, and leather bags.
The value of the container, including duty paid, was N4.2 billion. Three suspects have been arrested in connection with this seizure after the NCS obtained a detention warrant from a competent court of justice.
In addition to this, Adeniyi reported that on June 22, 2024, customs officers intercepted eight more 40-foot containers that were in transit from a bonded terminal. Upon examination, six of these containers were found to contain 1.5 million bottles of cough syrup with codeine and 3.5 million tablets of tramadol. The duty-paid value of these containers amounted to N9.6 billion, bringing the total duty-paid value of the nine containers to N13.9 billion.
On another front, the Joint Border Patrol Team Sector 2 of the NCS announced that it had intercepted 1,410 liters of premium motor spirit worth N30.4 million within one week. The team’s coordinator, Mohammad Shuaibu, shared this update during a press briefing at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, Lagos State.