Operatives of the Nigeria Army intercepted three truck loads of 300,000 live cartridges of pump action rifle from smugglers at Owode, Ogun State.
The goods were seized Thursday morning by officers of the 35 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army.
The cartridges were concealed in the trucks which registration numbers were identified as AAA 409 ZV, BDG 782 XU and GGE 88 XU.
The General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Iniobong Udoh told newsmen that the seizure followed calls from members of the public about the trucks.
Commander of the 35 Artilery Brigade, Brigadier General Olaniyi Olatunde, who briefed the press on behalf of the GOC said that following the information received, a patrol team was deployed to go after the offensive goods.
He said, “Following calls from well-meaning Nigerians, our patrol teams in Anti-Smuggling, Anti-Pipeline Vandalisation, on May 30, at about 2.58a.m., in conjunction with the Police, Department State Services, DSS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and other well-meaning Nigerians, intercepted the trucks loaded with cartridges at Balogun village, at Agbogila-Ilara road.
“The cartridges were contained in boxes concealed in such a way that it will be difficult for any usual patrol or checkpoint to discover. When our troops stopped them for stop-and-search, the occupants took to their heels. We pursued them, but didn’t get any of them. Troops are still on their trail”
The cartridges were suspected to have been smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic.
