Operatives of the Ogun Area 1 Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have intercepted a total of 940 rounds of live ammunition being smuggled into the country alongside other contrabands from the Republic of Benin through the Idiroko Border.
The command’s Area Controller, Comptroller Ahmadu Shuaibu disclosed this while speaking with journalists yesterday in Idiroko Border over activities of his command in recent times.
Shuaibu, who disclosed that his command had being on the trail of the contraband for more than two weeks from the Republic of Benin before it was eventually smuggled into the country, further explained that the live ammunition was “ingeniously concealed” in sacks of cassava flakes, commonly referred to as “garri”.
The Controller disclosed that while the NCS operatives were on the trail of the cartel behind the illicit business, the smugglers also beefed-up their secret intelligence surveillance to safeguard the items and eventually evaded arrest.
According to Shuaibu, luck however, ran against the smugglers when the superior security network of the command caught up with them to make the seizure, forcing the criminals to abandon the items and flee into the bush.
Other contrabands intercepted by the command according to Shuaibu, included: 123 sacks and 3,172 parcels of cannabis sativa, commonly known as Indian Hemp; 380 pieces of donkey skin; 304 bales of used clothes; and 910 cartons of frozen poultry products, among others.
“These items were intercepted at the creeks, border lines and other strategic locations across Ogun State, through our intelligence network and 24 hours patrol/anti-smuggling activities by our operatives”.
Disclosing that the NCS made the seizures with zero casualty, Shuaibu however, gave the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the total seizure to amount to over N557 Million.
Commenting on the revenue drive of the command, the CAC explained that his command generated the total sum of N24, 283, 788 as revenue between January and March this year from baggage assessment and auction sales of intercepted petroleum products being smuggled out of the country.
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