By Adejoke Adeleye
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun State on Monday said they intercepted 1,245 rounds of 70mm ammunition of cartridges concealed in bags of foreign rice.
The customs boss, Comptroller Bamidele Makinde revealed this to newsmen at a press conference held at the Area 1 command Abeokuta.
He said the command received information on the plan that some smugglers wanted to smuggle some prohibited items into the country from the Republic of Benin.
He said considering the danger of such ammunition of such magnitude if successfully smuggled in, the Customs redoubled their efforts to ensure they did not find their way into the country.
Makinde stated that the Service swung into action and embarked on 24-hour surveillance, which paid off on the 12th of August when the Roving B team intercepted five old vehicles, two Toyota Camry with chassis no:4TIBG22KIWU312145, 4TIXK1263NU108237 and three Mazda 626 with Chassis nos: JM2GD14H201568566, JMZGF14F201173029 and JMZGF16P20141862 respectively loaded with 203 bags of foreign rice, 50kg each in a bush path at Tombolo junction close to an exit point of Republic of Benin, Yewa south local government.
He said the drivers of the vehicles were nowhere to be found, saying that the suspects had hinted at the movement of its operatives and escaped through the bush of the said area.
