The Tincan Island Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stepped up security surveillance at the port, sequel to the seizure of arms, live ammunition and 7,500 air gun pallets, found in a vehicle discharged from a vessel at the port during the week. Other weapons uncovered from the same container imported into Nigeria from, United States of America include military helmet, bullet proof vest, Omni American Tactical riffle with serial number AR48634, Moasberg American Pump Action with serial number U648018 and Premier Hollow point air pallets.

The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Command, Comptroller Bashar Yusuf, made this known, warning individuals who have no business doing within the port, to keep off the facility, as the port is a restricted area, not allowed for wandering by unauthorised persons.

The CAC called on the media to enlighten the public about the security implications of people just walking about at the nation’s port, especially at the festive period, and also the fact that the country is facing security challenge at the moment.

“The importer of these absolutely prohibited items concealed them in a container of personal effects to escape security checks, but we became suspicious when a gas-mask was found in a container declared to be conveying personal effects. Imagine the havoc the culprit would have perpetuated with these dangerous weapons, if they had gone in the country unchecked”, he said.


He stated further that the seizure of 7,500 air gun pallets, makes the fifth time the Command has intercepted and handed over arms and ammunition to appropriate security agencies in the country this year.
On the strategies adopted by Tincan in seizing ammunition and other prohibited items, which has earned the Command three commendation letters from CGC Ali Hameed recently, he said, “We use intelligence. Our operations are intelligence-driven. Infact, the third commendation letter from the CGC was about our use of intelligence”.

He said, “Individuals who are given Nigeria’s passports should come into our country with manufacturing equipment, ideas on Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and new window of investment opportunities in non-oil export sectors, in order to fast track government’s policies on economic diversification, and not ammunition to cause havoc and terrorise innocent citizens in the country. Individuals who are into this nefarious business must desist and allow sanity in our economic environment, as we would not hesitate to seize their items, arrest and prosecute them according to the law.

We must rise up to protect Nigeria because this nation belongs to all of us. This is the only country we can enter without VISA because this is our country. Some of us may not know the importance of our country, until someone dies in a foreign land and discovers that even the corpse is rejected, because that is not his country”.
During a visit to the scene, Sunday Vanguard observed that the container declared as personal effects, had other military gadgets like helmet, riffles, military boots and 26 packages of other military hardware, which are absolutely prohibited items, that should not be found in the hands of unauthorised individuals, except security agencies of government allowed to handle such equipment.

falconey:



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/ncs-seized-live-ammunition-7-500-air-gun-pallets-tincan-port/

Photos: Ammunition seized at Tincan Island Port by Customs.

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