Customs at Tin-Can Island Port reveals contents of suspicious container
The Nigeria Customs Service, Tin-Can Island Port Command has revealed that arms and ammunition were among items found in a seized 40ft container.
In a statement on Monday, Spokesman of the Command, Uche Ejesieme, said that upon physical examination by joint personnel of the customs service and sister agencies in the port, the offensive imports were found concealed among used clothes.
He recalled that at about 4.30 pm on Friday, 17 December 2021, customs operatives stumbled on a container suspected to be carrying pistols and some rounds of ammunition.
He said that the actual nature of the suspected goods were not known , so on the instruction of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Musa Abdullahi, the container was transferred back to the Customs Enforcement Unit pending joint examination.
He stated that: “On Monday, 20th December 2021,a joint physical examination comprising the DSS, Police, NAFDAC, SON, Bomb Disposal etc, was conducted which revealed the following:
“Four(4) used Toyota vehicles viz:2005 Lexus Rx 330,2009 Toyota Sienna and two(2) units of 2009 Toyota Camry, as well as undeclared 53 pcs of new 55″ LG Televisions and other goods.
“However one (1)unit of Smith & Wesson pistol of model SW40V OF 40SW CALIBRE ,Two(2) packs of 50pcs each of 9mm live ammunition totaling 100pcs, one(1) empty (expended)shell of 9mm ammunition and eight (8) packs of 25 pcs each of 70mm (totaling 200pcs) and two empty pistol magazines were found concealed inside one of bags containing used clothes.”
The command used the opportunity to restate that the importation of pistol and live ammunition is on schedule 4 part 1(Absolute prohibitions) and a clear contravention of sections 46,47 and 161 of the customs & excise management Act cap c45 laws of the federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 as amended.
Ejesieme added that a suspect connected to the seized container was apprehended and kept in detention at the customs facility, while investigations continue.
