About four months after it intercepted 440 pieces of riffles at the port, the Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has again intercepted another container loaded with pump action riffles.
Sources confirmed to Shipping Position Daily exclusively last week that the container was intercepted at Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) by an officer of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU) named Haliru.
The guns were reportedly concealed with water closets and other sanitary wares.
Already, a clearing agent has been apprehended and locked up in connection with the lethal seizure.
Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Uche Ejesieme told our correspondent at the weekend that details of the seizure are still being kept secret because the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali is expected to inspect the arms today (Monday) at Tin Can Port.
"I am not confirming or debunking, but the full details will come to you on Monday from the CGC at Tin Can Island Port" Ejesieme stated.
Sources however confirmed to Shipping Position Daily exclusively that the pump action riffles were up to 200 pieces. The container was intercepted last Tuesday and was taken to the enforcement unit
One of our sources specifically hinted that: "The container was picked up from TICT on Tuesday and it was brought to enforcement, the container was carrying WC and other sanitary wares, it's a 20- foot container"
"They did the examination on Thursday but they did not allow anyone to see it because the Area Controller was not around, but I heard there would be a briefing on Monday"
"The guns were so many, if I am not making a mistake, with what I saw it would be up to 200 cases of guns"
"The container is a blue 20-foot container, the information we gathered was that the container was positioned for examination, on the examination form and processing, the CIU officer spotted it"
"Already they have offloaded the sanitary wares, they were loading it back, it remained just three pieces for them to put back inside the container, this was when the customs stopped it, as I am talking to you, one clearing agent is already in the cell"
"The guns were wrapped in blue nylon inside cartons and concealed with sanitary wares"
However, he said that the DSS and other security agents were not allowed to see the container because the CGC is expected to break the news today.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that 440 riffles were intercepted by the command in May 2017. Prior to that, in February 2017, the Federal Operations Unit of the service had intercepted 660 pieces of pump action rifles at Apapa port, also in Lagos.
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