•American assault rifles, ammunition seized from 2 imported cars
By Chinenye Anuforo
The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted two personal effects containers loaded with arms and ammunition.
The venue is Tin-Can Island Command, Customs Area Controller, Bashar Yusuf, told reporters in Lagos yeserday that the interception was through a tip-off.
“The command got a hint that there are magazines in one of the vehicles in a vessel. We isolated it for thorough check to ensure that apart from the magazines, nothing illegal was in the vehicles. But to our greatest surprise, we discovered 10 live rounds of ammunition concealed in a used 2004 model Toyota Corolla car with chassis number 2D1BR32E54C309841.
“These 10 pieces of live rounds of ammunition are called Harmady 40 X and W ammunition. We have no suspect yet on this because we just discovered it. We were just coming out of the vessel and we isolated the vehicle. We will certainly get to know who owns the vehicle, so as to work on it. We will also hand the contraband over to Department of State Services (DSS) for custody because they are too dangerous to be with unauthorized persons.” He said.
Another container, marked MSCU718443/6 which contained one used Nissan Armada with chassis number 5NIAA08A69N709779 (a 2007 model) was discovered to contain one Omini American tactical riffle with number AR48634, another riffle Moasperg American pump action with number U648018,” he said.
In addition, the command also discovered on examination in the same vehicle 3,500 premier gun pellets and another 4,000 pieces of hollow air gun pellets.
“There is also in the same container already made military foods of about 26 packages and other military kits which include; nine pieces of military bullet proof vest, one piece of military helmet with proof, one piece of military gas mask with two pairs of glasses, one piece of pistol pouch, one piece of riffle pouch, two pairs of boot.
“A suspect, Christian Mbachi, is in custody and he will be handed over to the DSS with all the ammunition discovered to do their investigation and due diligence,” he said.
The Tin-Can Area Controller assured Nigerians of the command’s absolute commitment to safeguard the country. He urged all beneficiaries carrying Nigerian passport abroad to please come back with something that will add value to the country rather than things that will cause havoc or destroy it.
He said: “These items were found in personal effectscontainer. A container that government says, you shouldn’t pay duty because you are a Nigerian coming back home but see the way Nigerians responded to such gesture by bringing in pump action and even a gas mask. Who knows the plan of the perpetrators of this act,?” he asked.
He said importation of such ammunition could have caused havoc in the country, if it had escaped Customs’ attention, adding that insecurity is one of the country’s challenges but security must be a collective responsibility.