The Nigeria Customs Service, Ogun 1 Area Command, has intercepted 975 rounds of Red Star live cartridges concealed in five bags of rice and hidden away in a bush along Palace-Ayetoro Road in the Imeko Afon Local Government Area of the state.
The seizure was said to have been made on Monday following an intelligence report after which some officials were deployed to confront the suspects bringing the illegal ammunition into the country.
The acting Customs Area Controller, Ogun Area 1 Command, Deputy Comptroller, Amadu Shuaibu, disclosed this while briefing journalists at Idiroko on Wednesday.
Shuaibu said the command was on the trail of the smugglers for about a week before they were nabbed around 5 am on Monday.
Shaibu said, “On Monday, 27 November 2023, our operatives went on an intelligence-based operation to unravel the antics deployed by unscrupulous elements to bring in live ammunition through the Imeko axis of the state.
“We got intelligence that the five bags of foreign parboiled rice containing live cartridges of red star ammunition had been carefully hidden in a bushpath along the Palace-Ayetoro Road, Imeko Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State. Our operatives went to the spot and evacuated the five bags of rice without any encounter.
“The bags of rice were suspected because of the unusual threading and sewing of the sacks. This aroused the suspicion of our operatives, leading to their opening for proper examination at the border station.
“During the examination, about 975 rounds of Red Star live cartridges were found to have been ingeniously concealed in the bags. We have intensified efforts at tracking down the perpetrators of this nefarious act for them to be brought to justice.
“We recognise the potential danger of arms and ammunition trafficking which is life-threatening. We shall not relent on our efforts in combatting smuggling.”
