Customs seizes cache of arms, illicit drugs at Tincan Island

By Innocent Raphael

Tincan Island Port Command of the Nigeria Customs Service on Friday showcased a cache of arms seizure including eleven (11) guns including pump Action guns, six (6) pistols including semi-automatic arms and pepper spray guns, military vests, among others.

This was disclosed at a press briefing in Lagos by the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, Comptroller Dera Nnadi who handed over the seized items to the Department of State Security Service, (DSS) and National Drug Kaw Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The command also said that it made another seizure of psychotropic substances imported into the country in collaboration with its partner agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA in recently.

Nnadi also stated that the agency has resolved to continue making the seizures in support of the efforts of the federal government to keep the nation safe, as he pointed out that the conveyors of the harmful products intend to use them for nefarious activities including insurgentcy and kidnapping.

Speaking further, Comptroller Nnadi disclosed that for the first two months and fourteen days of 2024, the command had collected the sum of 240,302,000,000 (Two hundred and forty billion, three hundred and two million) Naira in revenue to the federal government even as he noted that the command’s monthly revenue target was set at 94 billion Naira.

“By way of percentage for the month of January, the command surpassed its revenue collection by one hundred and seven percent. For the month of February, it was also surpassed by one hundred and forty one percent. So, consistently, we keep improving”, the CAC said.

Felding questions from the media on the identities of drug peddlers and illegal importers of ammunitions, Nnadi stated that the command tends to protect some information in order not to jeopardize investigations but revealed that seized ammunitions would be evacuated from the agency’s armoury to relevant government agencies.

“Of course, you cannot make seizures at the seaport that is a confined environment where declarations are made through bill of ladings and declaration without making arrest. There are people who made these declarations, some were arrested, bail was granted, prosecution is ongoing.

“It is not like we are in the land area where you say somebody abandoned the consignment and run away. These ones, arrests were. made and prosecution is going on, that I can assure you,” he added.