Customs intercepts container laden with military hardware

The Nigeria customs service says it intercepted a container load of military hardware along Aba-Port Harcourt road.

Joseph Attah, spokesman of the service, said personnel of the service’ federal operations unit, zone C, intercepted the hardware on Friday.

“The container was taken to Owerri, where proper examination in the presence of the representative of the owner revealed the following: 11 bales containing new sets of sawn military camouflage,” he said in a statement.

“Each bale contains 400 pairs of sawn military camouflage, 15 cartons containing Altama combat boots; each carton contains 20 pairs and some sacks of made-up garments.

“Seven wooden furniture kitchen cabinets, 337 packs of new foreign tiles made in China, 27 medical equipment made in China, 34 rolls of water hose made in China and some household items.”

Attah added that the owner’s representative has been detained while investigation to get those connected to the container has commenced.

The service has made several other interceptions, with most of them involving illegally imported arms and ammunition. In June, it seized a truck conveying 200,000 live ammunition from Niger state to Anambra.

TheCable reported last year how most of the seizures were cloaked in secrecy as to those behind the consignment and there whereabouts.

The service had said it has submitted its findings to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigations. But no known prosecution over the seizures yet.