The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted assorted arms, drones, and military equipment worth ₦1.5 billion, smuggled from Turkey into Lagos State. Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made this announcement on Wednesday at the Murtala Muhammed Area Command.

Acting on intelligence from local and international collaborators, customs personnel were deployed on June 19, 2024, to monitor all exit points around the airport. Adeniyi revealed that during the examination, an item suspected to be part of a rifle was discovered in a consignment with airway bill number 235-58737755 from Turkey.

“Upon thorough examination, it was found that four packages contained 55 unassembled Jojef Magnum (Tomahawk) semi-automatic shotguns, concealed within shower faucets. The duty paid value of these arms is ₦270,888,109.29,” Adeniyi stated.

Additionally, the Customs boss noted that the military and paramilitary accoutrements were valued at ₦1.29 billion, bringing the total seizure value to ₦1.5 billion. He disclosed that recent analyses indicate that some Nigerians based in Turkey are responsible for purchasing, packaging, and exporting these illicit arms to Nigeria.

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the illicit arms importation and will be handed over to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, for further investigation and prosecution.

The seized items include 148 drones, 172 ballistic vests, 15 ballistic plates, one ballistic helmet, eight walkie-talkies, 9,172 military and paramilitary badges, 20 camouflage uniforms, 100 camouflage vests, 172 camouflage caps, and 120 binoculars.

This seizure follows a recent announcement by Customs that officers in Port Harcourt intercepted 844 rifles and 112,500 rounds of ammunition.