The Nigerian Customs Services recently discovered a 40ft container at Onne Port in Rivers State that was filled with various weapons and nine containers filled with codeine. The Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, displayed the seized weapons and drugs to journalists in Onne, Rivers State, on July 1st. Adeniyi explained that the weapons were brought in from Turkey and were concealed within used clothes.
He mentioned that they were able to locate the shipment with the assistance of intelligence agencies. The importer attempted to avoid customs procedures by using a private bonded terminal. During an inspection on June 21, 2024, the container was found to contain 844 rifles and 12,500 rounds of live ammunition hidden among doors, furniture fittings, and leather bags. ‘
The declared value of the container is N4,171,710.00. Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizure. Furthermore, on Saturday, officers intercepted an 8 by 40-foot container carrying 1.5 million bottles of codeine cough syrup and 3.5 million tablets of tramadol. The declared value of these containers is N9.6 billion. Adeniyi mentioned that the total declared value of all nine containers is N13,915,710,000.00.