The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Friday said its operatives intercepted 751 pieces of 70mm live ammunition concealed in cassava flour in Igbo-Ora, Oyo State.
This is even as the unit revealed that other contrabands ranging from 229 wraps of Indian hemp, 856 jerrycans of petrol at 25 litres each, 21 cartons of cutlasses at 60 pieces each, among others, were also seized in the last three weeks in both Oyo and Ogun States.
Addressing a news conference in Lagos on Friday, acting Customs Area Controller of the FOU, Zone A, Hussein Ejibunu, revealed that the increasing use of motorcycles to smuggle parboiled rice using bush paths not accessible to vehicles is a disturbing trend being deployed by smugglers in recent days.
According to him, officials of the unit seized 8,000 bags of smuggled rice of 5Okg each; 1,419 jerrycans of vegetable oil; 1,301 bales and 128 sacks of secondhand clothing, 621 cartons of expired medicaments; 635 cartons of wine; 1,046 pieces of used tyres; 21 cartons of cutlasses at 60 pieces each.
Other items seized include 531 pieces of used compressor; 986 cartons of chocolate biscuit; 229 wraps of Indian hemp; 856 jerrycans of petrol at 25 litres each; 1,516 cartons of frozen poultry products; 751 pieces of AAA cartridges (7OMM) of live ammunition; 18 units of motorcycles, Inclusive of 80 means of conveyance; all with a duty paid value (DPV) of N723,288,244.75.
“The aforementioned seizures were effected at different flash points in the zone prominent among them being Ado-Odo, Idogo, Ohunbe, Ilaro, Atan, Abeokuta/Sagamu Interchange, ljebu-Ode in Ogun State, Iseyin, Igboora, Igbeti in Oyo State, Gbaji, Agbara in Ogun State and of course the creeks.
“There is a disturbing new trend of smuggling deployed by smugglers and that has to do with massive use of motorcycles to smuggle parboiled rice at 50kg each using bush paths not accessible to vehicles. Cumulative seizure of such means of conveyance is over 100 units in our custody,” Ejibunu added.
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