Customs impounds 1,100 pump action rifles at Tin Can Island

By OKOSUN DENNIS

A large cache of weapons were on Monday uncovered by the Nigerian Customs, at the Tin-Can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NIS).

National  Daily gathered that the arm  syndicates were smashed in a bid to smuggle into the country, about 1,100  pump action riffles loaded in a 20 foot container.

It was gathered that the weapons are suspected to have been brought into the country from Turkey, and were concealed inside a container which Bill of Laden indicated it was conveying wash hand basins.

The Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Ahmeed Alli, disclosed that already a Customs officer, as well as a clerk  at the command had been arrested in connection with the discovery.

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They were arrested on the suspicion that they cut the seal of the container without following due process as laid out according to routine checks of consignments.

Recall that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) had intercepted some pieces of riffles at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos.

Also, about three months before that, the Federal Operations Unit of the service had intercepted 660 pieces of pump action rifles at Apapa Port, also in Lagos.

The guns were concealed in a 20-ft container with number, PONU210024 (1) 22G1 carrying POP powder used for design of houses.

According to the Tin-Can Island Command of Customs, who disclosed the discovery, Mr Monday Abueh, the Zonal Coordinator of Zone A’ , also an Assistant Comptroller said the imports originated from Turkey.