The intercepted rifles

The Nigeria Customs Service, the Tincan Island, Lagos Command on Tuesday revealed that it has intercepted 440 pieces of assorted pump action rifles hidden in a container declared by the importer as containing pop cement.

Speaking with Journalists at the Enforcement section of the Unit, the Customs Area Controller, Bashar Yusuf said the seizure was effected through intelligence which necessitated the segregation of the 1 x 20ft container to the Enforcement Unit for physical examination.

According to him, the importer had declared the consignment as ANTISERA AND CANNULE (CHEMICAL FORMULAR).

But a hundred percent physical examination of the container by the Enforcement Unit of the Command, he said led to the discovery of the weapons.

The Customs Area Controller added that investigation is still ongoing with a view to unravelling those behind the importation of the rifles and that further profiling of the importer will be carried out to get other details.

This magazine however gathered that the rifles were imported from Turkey while a suspect has been taken into custody in relation to the importation of the container.

Speaking further, the Zonal Co-coordinator Zone ‘A’, ACG Abue represented the Comptroller-General, commended the controller for the spectacular seizure and described the Area Controller as a quintessential officer who has been contributing immensely to the success story of the Service.

The Customs Area Controller gave the breakdown of the seizures as follows:

1. ONE HUNDRED (100) PIECES BLACK TORNADO SINGLE BARREL RIFLES.
2. SEVENTY-FIVE (75) PIECES SILVER MAGNUM SINGLE BARREL RIFLES.

iii. FIFTY (50) PIECES OF ALTER PUMP ACTION RIFLES.

1. TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN (215) PIECES BLACK SINGLE BARREL RIFLES.
2. ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FOUR (164) PIECES OF RIFLE NOZZLE.
3. ONE HUNDRED AND THREE (103) PIECES OF ARMS GRIPS.

vii. ONE HUNDRED AND TEN (110) PIECES OF TRIGGER.

viii. ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN (113) PIECES OF ARM GUARD.

1. ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN (107) PIECES OF BRIDGE BLOCK.
2. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO (122) PIECES OF ALLEN KEYS.
3. ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN (117) PIECES OF ASSEMBLE BUTT

xii. FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN (516) 5OKG BAGS OF POP CEMENT.

It will be recalled that the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had in January intercepted 661 pieces of pump action rifles imported from China, concealed in a container loaded with steel doors and other merchandise goods, which came in through Lagos port.