Customs To Hold Terminal Operator Responsible For Arms Seized At Tin Can Port

The Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) yesterday said that a customs officer and Terminal Clerk of a port concessionaire have been arrested in connection with another round of 1,100 pieces of pump action rifles at Tin Can Island Port.
He stated that apart from the arrests, the Customs is holding the terminal operator responsible for he lethal import.
Shipping Position Daily had reported exclusively on Monday that the container with number GESU2555208, a 20 Foot, was arrested at the premises of Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) on 6th of September 2017 by officers of Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU).
 
While displaying the guns to journalists at Tin Can Port yesterday, Col. Ali confirmed that the 1, 100 rifles is the third in series of arms seizure within eight months, bringing the total number of arms that were seized to  2,201.
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.
 
Others are; 300 pieces of Jojef Silver Black Pump action rifles, 200 pieces of Jojef magnum plastic single barrels hunting fun pump action rifles. The container was conveyed by a vessel; MV Bella Shuttle.
 
At the point of examination, the Customs CG  said it was observed that the container was not listed for examination and that the seal of the container had already been cut and padlocked. The container became suspicious and had to be immediately transferred to the enforcement unit
 
Speaking further, the customs boss said that, "already, one officer of the service alleged to have authorised the cutting of the seal and the terminal clerk have been arrested and are undergoing investigation. Nigeria Customs Service under my watch will do that is possible to fish out all those remotely connected to this devilish importation; we shall bring them to justice"
 
"We would now begin to hold even the terminal operators responsible because, how come the container which was not listed and positioned for examination found its way into the groups of those that were supposed to be inspected, the terminal operators must explain because as soon as the containers were brought down from the ship they took charge of them, so somebody would have to explain how the container founds its way out"
 
Apart from these, the Customs boss promised to collaborate with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barrister Hassan Bello WCO (World Customs Organisation) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and together work with the government of Turkey to nip the scourge of arms importation to Nigeria in the bud.
 
He said that investigation is still ongoing to determine the importer of the guns.
 
"This time we are going beyond fishing out the importer or our officers that have connived; we would also go after the shipper. It is a global known process that there is no way you can take onboard your ship a container that you don't know the content"
 
"From now on, thanks to the law and we would effect it as it is, all ships that  bring in such cargoes would be detained if discovered on our port, if not, we would block them from our system completely, this means they cannot do business with us until they become compliant"
 
"Through the WCO (World Customs Organisation) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have to begin to discuss with the Turkish government, because this is becoming too much for us to bear, we discovered after complete profiling that the importation all came from Turkey"
 
Recall that the first batch of 661 riffles which were intercepted at Mile 2 while enroute from the Port, they were concealed with steel doors. The second batch of 440 pieces was concealed with POP materials.
 
He assured that the cases are all in court and that the customs officers involved have been dismissed and facing trials in court.
 
He urged shipping agents and terminal operators to wake up to support the customs service to nip in the bud attempts to smuggle such dangerous items into the country.
 
"They are not meant for decoration, they are not meant for games, these are purely weapons to take people's lifes and we have Nigerians who believe they can thrive on blood money. These are weapons used for kidnapping, robbery and insurgents"