Customs intercepts hidden arms, ammunition from US

The Comptroller of Customs, Ports and Terminal Multi-Services Limited, Tin-Can Island, Lagos, Tajudeen Olanrewaju,
has revealed that his command intercepted arms and ammunition concealed in a container coming into the country from the United States of America.
Addressing journalists, Olanrewaju said the illegal items were discovered on Monday, while his officers were carrying out an examination of the container.
Revealing further that the clearing agent had been arrested, Olanrewaju said that the clearing agency used to facilitate the clearing of the container, was ‘Chimbudike Agency.
According to him, if not for the thoroughness of the Customs officers who carried out the examination of the container, which came in from US, the arms and ammunition would have gone undetected.
The arms and ammunition were concealed in the deeper part of a blackjeep vehicle booth, which was inside the container.
The items recovered were: One Smith and Wesson short gun, one revolver, one Bushnell sniper rifle, model 710, 52 rounds of 38 calibres ammunition, 48 rounds of 9mm calibre and 38 rounds of 9.0mm calibre, together with two empty magazines.
Olanrewaju, who described the recovery of the arms and ammunition as extraordinary, said: “We want to constitute a monitoring unit and know where the arms and ammunition were supposed to end and what they were supposed to be used for. That the importer did not declare the arms and ammunition in his document shows a criminal intent.”
Olarenwaju explained that the importation contravened the importation rules of the nation as arms and ammunition falls under absolute importation prohibition.
He said the suspect is in detention while an investigation into the case continues.
Olarenwaju said that the items were recovered at about 2.20pm when officers from the intelligence unit were conducting 100 per cent examination on container No. PONU 8071808, believed to be carrying one used 1999 GMC jeep with chases No. 764650 and one used 2004 Chrysler 300 car with chases No. 629127.
He said: “It was during the course of the examination that the prohibited items which were concealed inside the GMC jeep were recovered. Though, the importer is on the run, but the agent who presented document of the cargo for clearance was arrested immediately for not being able to produce government permit for the importation of fire arms into the country.”
Olarenwaju also stated that efforts were on to arrest the importer, adding that US officials from the Federal Bureau of Intelligence had been contacted, with a view to tracking down the importer who is believed to be residing in the US.