The Nation
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’ has intercepted cache of arms and ammunition, matchetes and expired drugs smuggled into the country from Benin Republic.
Speaking with reporters in Lagos on Friday, the acting Area Controller of the unit Hussein Ejibunu, said the dangerous items were intercepted at Igbo-Ora, Oyo State.
According to him, the unit also intercepted 621 cartons of expired drugs, 1,260 pieces of cutlass being smuggled into the country while 856 Jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the point of being smuggled out of the country.
Briefing reporters on how the ammunition were intercepted, the Controller said officers of the unit were on at a pin-down point outside Iseyin when they sight a vehicle carrying bags of smuggled rice concealed with cassava flour.
He, however, said on sighting his officers, the smugglers abandoned their vehicle and fled into the bush to evade arrest.
“When search was carried out on the vehicle, it was discovered that 752 pieces of AAA cartridges (70mm) of live ammunition were carefully concealed with Cassava flour.
