Custom, Smugglers in shootout, recover goods worth N26.4m
Operatives of Nigeria Custom Service attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday night engaged suspected smugglers in a gun duel which lasted several hours.
Four of the suspected smugglers sustained varying degrees of bullet wounds during the shootout.
Briefing journalists on Wednesday on the development, the Controller FOU, Zone A, Comptroller Umar Mohammed said the operatives who were led by Deputy Superintendent of Customs Ohagwu Jude, recovered about N26.4 million worth of goods from the suspected smugglers who fled and left behind the smuggled items.
Mohammed listed the items recovered to include 1,499 bags of parboiled rice and 3,071 cartons of imported poultry products, all valued at about N26,418,700.00.
He added that the goods were concealed in five trucks being driven into the country through an illegal route in Iteku waterside area of Ogun State when the suspects were sighted by the NCS surveillance team who then engaged them in a shootout as the suspects opened fire on the operatives.
The Controller appreciated the assistance given to his men by personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, disclosing that the team received backup from the Military, leading to the successful transport of the impounded goods to the Custom warehouse at Ikeja.
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