Forty-two drums of explosives in the form of calcium carbide and other contraband worth N3.1billion smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic has been seized by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Other contraband items worth N3.1billion, with a Demand Notice (DN) worth N242million, were also impounded by the unit.
Compt. Usman Yahaya, the Acting Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the Unit, disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos. He said investigations were ongoing to know exactly where the explosives are headed.
Yahaya said 1,488 kegs of Petrol (equivalent of 33,000 liters) set to be smuggled out of the country to the Benin Republic were also intercepted.
He further added that other items ranging from bags of rice, Indian hemp, textiles material, cartons of tramadol, second hand clothing among others were seized.
“We intercepted the 42 drums of calcium carbide through intelligence gathering. The contrabands were in a truck and concealed with cassava tubers and flakes. They thought with the concealment, they can evade our officers.
“The explosives were intercepted at Sango Ota axis and then, we know the items are coming from Benin Republic through the unapproved routes. Calcium carbide is on the list of contrabands because it is dangerous to the nation if it gets to the hands of bad elements,” he said.
