Customs seize ammunition, 117 bags of indian hemp

The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs said on Tuesday in Abeokuta that it had seized 3,000 shotgun cartridges smuggled into the country.

The command also seized 117 bags (392kg) of Indian hemp with a street value of about N1. 7m in the last three months.

The Customs also confiscated 171 vehicles, 2,058 cartons of frozen products, 465 kegs of 25 litres vegetable oil, four drums and 112 kegs of 25 litres of petrol and 567 bags of imported rice.

It also seized bales of textile materials, second-hand clothing, shoes, towels, bags and bedsheets worth N11m from smugglers.

While eight suspects were also arrested by the command in the past three months, six have been arraigned in court and one has been convicted and sentenced to two years in jail with an option of N200,000 fine.

The Area Controller, Mr. Ade Dosunmu, said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abeokuta where he displayed some of the seized items.

He transferred the seized bags of Indian hemp to the officials of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency while the poultry products were also destroyed and buried at a site.

Dosunmu put the Duty Paid Value of all the seizures made within the last three months by the command at N258.9m. 

He explained that Customs men on patrol in Agosasa intercepted an unmarked Honda CRV conveying the 3,000 Redstar High-speed shotgun cartridges worth about N900,000.

The area controller added that the driver of the CRV however escaped into the bush but was arrested by the patrol team.

He also put the DPV of the 171 vehicles seized by his men in the past three months at N228. 8m.

Dosunmu said, “Sometimes in the process of trying to stop the smugglers, they engage our men. So far I can say with all our efforts, we are ensuring that no life is lost. We have even seized cartridges. I want to assure Nigerians that Customs will only partner with those doing legitimate businesses. We’ll facilitate trade but whoever is involved in illegal trading and does not stop will be brought to book.

“I’ve told my men that if anybody carries turkey or any other contraband, he should be shot on the legs to make sure he doesn’t run away.

“When the cannabis suspects saw us, they took to their heels. My men were actually trapped in the farm and by the time reinforcement came, the suspects had escaped from the farm. It was from the farm that we got all these based on intelligence. The farm is at the Imeko area.”

The area controller also stated that the revenue of the command shot up within the last three months to a cumulative N1.2bn against the N961.2m recorded within the same period last year.