Customs intercepts 751 live ammunition, other contraband items

Joy Anyim

Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, have intercepted 751 pieces of live cartridges, amongst other contraband items with a Duty Paid Value (DPV), of over N723 million.

The Nigerian Xpress reports that the ammunitions were buried in bags of cassava flour, and intercepted in the outskirt of Igboora, in Oyo state.

Briefing journalists at the Unit’s Headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday, the Acting Controller, Deputy Comptroller Hussein Ejibunu, also condemned the attacks on operatives in the course of discharging their duties.

Stating that the Unit will remain undaunted in the pursuit of her mandate no matter the level of attacks, the Acting Controller vowed that operatives will henceforth respond to such attacks in line with their rules of engagement.

He, therefore, urged parents and guardians to warn their wards to desist from smuggling or being a party to such attacks, saying the Unit will do all within the law to ensure the zone becomes a non-fertile ground for smuggling.

Disclosing that 37 suspects were also arrested in connection with 28 seizures made in the last one month, Ejibunu said: “The mandate of FOU ’A’ as a critical enforcement arm of the Service. particularly in the South-West Zone, cannot be overemphasized. Besides stemming the tide of smuggling in the Zone, the Unit stands as a Police providing the much-needed security to other Customs Area Commands across the Zone, there is also the implementation of Government Fiscal Policies, Facilitation of Legitimate Trade and inter Agency function.

“ Items intercepted within the period include 8,000 bags of smuggled rice at 50kg each, 1,419 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 1,301 bales and 128 sacks of secondhand clothing 233 bundles of the wrapper, 621 cartons of expired medicaments, 635 cartons of wine,1,046 pieces of used tyres, 21 cartons of cutlasses at 60 pieces each, 531 pieces of the used compressor, 986 cartons of chocolate biscuit

“ Others include 229 wraps (114.5kg) of Cannabis sativa (Indian hemp), 8561errycan of PMS at 25 litres each, 1,516 cartons of frozen poultry products, 751 pieces of AAA cartridges (70MM) of live ammunition 18 units of motorcycles, Inclusive of 80 means of conveyance. All with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N 723,288,244.75.

“Another challenge that has remained unabated is the issue of ambush attacks of officers unprovoked. Just on Saturday, October 16, my patrol team ran into a convoy of more than 24 vehicles laden with smuggled rice and they were able to intercept 12 along Abeokuta/Sagamu Interchange.

“As the officers made their way to Lagos, over 300 smugglers and hoodlums had mobilized and attacked the officers with pump-action rifles as well as cutlasses, pebbles and bottles, in the process, the patrol vehicle was riddled with bullets wounds while the windscreen was shattered.

“The aftermath of the attack was the forceful retrieval of eight of the 12 intercepted vehicles and injuring of two officers. You can now see what we face every other day. One thing is very certain; we remain undaunted in the pursuit of our mandate no matter the level of attacks on my operations in the field.

“Let me sound a note of warning to smugglers,  no man has the monopoly of violence. We have the backing of the law to bear arms; and to that extent, we will not hesitate to deploy the Rules of Engagement in such dangerous circumstances. Parents should warn their wards on the dangers of smuggling.”

Decrying the new trend of smuggling foreign parboiled rice with motorcycles, Ejibunu said: “There is a disturbing new trend of smuggling deployed by smugglers and that has to do with massive use of motorcycles to smuggle parboiled rice at 50kg each using bush paths not accessible to vehicles. Cumulative seizure of such means of conveyance is over 100 units in our custody.”

Speaking on where the seizures were made and some of the suspects granted bail, the Acting Controller said: “Within the period under review, we had a total of 37 suspects arrested for various offences. Six of the suspects are already charged to Court, 12 on Administrative Bail while 19 are still in our custody either waiting to be charged to court or be released through Bail.

“The aforementioned seizures were effected at different flashpoints in the Zone prominent among them being Ado-Odo, ldogo, Sokoto-ljoun, Ohunbe, llaro, Atan, Abeokuta/Sagamu interchange, ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, lseyin, lgboora, lgbeti in Oyo State, Gbaji, Agbara in Ogun State and of course the creeks.”

Emphasising that the activities of the Unit are not restricted to the borders alone, Ejibunu said the Unit has beamed her searchlight on the seaports in a bid to stamp out or minimize certain sharp practices credited to certain unscrupulous elements at the ports.

He added that a 40ft container, with the number TGBU 6748844, intercepted along Amuwo Odofin in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos, while trans-loading bales of used clothing into two trucks with Registration numbers FKJ621XA and Scania FST331YD, was under investigations.

“As at the time of interception, 248 bales of secondhand clothing had been transloaded into DAF truck no. FKJ621XA, 240 bales into Scania truck no. FST331YD while 216 bales were still remaining in the container. Both the container and the two trucks were brought to FOU ‘A’ and converted to seizure. An investigation is ongoing.

“ It was further revealed that the containers were three in number on one single declaration. We are on the trail of the remaining two and of course, those behind the dastardly act will not be spared as some people are already in the cell helping in our investigation,” he said.