About one week after it intercepted a 20-foot container loaded with of 1,100 pump action riffles, the Tin Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service on Monday uncovered yet another set of 475 riffles imported into the country.
Shipping Position Daily gathered exclusively that the guns were discovered after the Customs Area Controller of the Command; Compt Bashir Yussuf ordered a detailed profiling of the importer of the 1,100 riffles that were intercepted last week.
Upon investigations, it was uncovered that the 20-foot container, numbered CMAU189817/8 belongs to the same importer.
The latest seizure is the fourth in the series of arms seizure in Lagos ports alone within eight months.
A source who witnessed the examination of the container told our correspondent that the riffles were concealed with small connecting pipes.
"The container is owned by the same importer of the 1,100 guns. After a detailed profiling of the importer, ordered by the Area Controller, it was discovered that he still has another container inside the port, so they fished it out"
"But I don't know why they are hiding the identity of the importer", the source said.
As at late Monday, the container was still being examined at the Enforcement Unit of Customs, while a large number of Customs Intelligence Unit officers (CIU) and enforcement officers barred port users from witnessing the counting.
However, when he was contacted by our correspondent, the spokesperson of Tin Can Customs, Uche Ejesieme could not confirm the development.
He said he was not aware of such developments. "I am not aware and I don't know anything about it" he said.
Efforts to reach the Deputy Controller in charge of enforcement at Tin Can Port, Mr. Dera Nnadi proved abortive as all calls to his phone were not picked.
Recall that the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) had last Monday displayed 1,100 riffles imported into Tincan port from Turkey.
The importation came through the Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT). A customs officer and Terminal Clerk of the terminal were arrested in connection with the seizure.
Ali said that customs would hold the terminal operator responsible for the illegal import and query how the container found its way into the examination bay even though it was not positioned or listed for examination.
He said that the all the guns were imported from Turkey. He said that the bill of laden of the container falsely indicates the content to be wash hand basins and water closets, but thorough examination revealed that it contains 600 pieces of Jojef Magnum Black Pump Action Rifles.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Customs Service also said yesterday that, it has impounded exotic vehicles which were imported into the country without payment of duties on them.
The Comptroller-General of Customs Col Hameed Alli (Rtd) stated this while addressing journalists in Abuja on the seizure of the vehicles.
He said the 18 suspected smuggled vehicles were seized from a car dealer in Abuja named Kefiano Motors Ltd.
Out of these 18 vehicles, he said 13 were bullet proof without the mandatory End-User Certificate which is usually issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser.
He gave a breakdown of the 18 vehicles as two Range Rovers, one Rolls Royce, four Lexus, three G-Wagon, two Prado, one Lincoln Navigator, one I one Infinity, one 4matic, two Toyota Sequoia and one Toyota Camry.
Discussion about this post