Customs Intercepts 204 Rifles Hidden in Turkey Container at Tin Can Port

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 204 pump-action rifles concealed in a 20-foot container imported from Turkey at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, in the latest major seizure highlighting the renewed battle against illicit arms trafficking through Nigeria’s maritime gateways.

The weapons were discovered after Customs officers, acting on credible intelligence, flagged the container for a comprehensive physical examination.

The container, which arrived aboard the MV Algeciras Express from Turkey on August 16, 2026, had been declared as carrying used household items. But when Customs subjected it to a 100 per cent examination, officers found the firearms concealed among furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergents.

The seizure was disclosed on Monday, August 31, during the handover of the weapons to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, said the discovery was the product of sustained intelligence gathering and tighter surveillance at the nation’s ports and borders.

“Based on credible information gathered, a 20-foot container, an import of Turkey aboard vessel MV Algeciras Express on 16 August 2026, was flagged and subjected to a 100 per cent physical examination on 18 August, 2026,” Bomodi said.

The examination uncovered 204 MAS 49 Alter Magnum pump-action rifles, in addition to several firearm components, including 39 trigger pins, 58 locking lugs, 53 charging handles, 53 pistol-grip screws, 56 springs and 56 trigger groups.

The latest interception has raised the stakes at Tin Can Island Port, where Customs has recorded a series of major arms seizures over the years.

The Lagos port has previously been at the centre of some of Nigeria’s most significant firearm interceptions. In 2017, Customs seized 440 pump-action rifles at Tin Can Island Port, barely months before another consignment containing 1,100 rifles from Turkey was intercepted at the same port.

The latter weapons had been concealed among sanitary items, including washing basins and water closets.

The latest seizure came only about two weeks after Customs announced the recovery of another major consignment at Tin Can. In that operation, firearm components were intercepted and subsequently assembled into 399 pump-action rifles before being handed over to the NCCSALW.

Combined, the two seizures amount to 603 rifles intercepted at the port within a matter of weeks, underscoring the scale of attempts to move firearms through the country’s legitimate import channels.

Customs Area Controller of the Tin Can Island Command, Comptroller Joe Anani, said the command would not allow the port to become a route for dangerous prohibited goods.

“Those who see our ports as an easy route for bringing prohibited and dangerous items into Nigeria should understand that they will not find a willing partner in the Nigeria Customs Service,” Anani said.

The weapons were subsequently handed over to the NCCSALW, an agency involved in efforts to control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.

Receiving the seized firearms, the NCCSALW’s South-West Zonal Coordinator, CP Abiodun Alamutu (retd.), commended Customs for stopping the consignment before the weapons could reach unauthorised users.

The repeated interceptions come against the backdrop of persistent security challenges across the country, with illegal firearms frequently identified as a major enabler of banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

For Customs, the latest discovery also provides another test of its intelligence-led approach to cargo inspection. Rather than relying solely on routine checks, officers increasingly use intelligence and risk profiling to identify suspicious consignments for closer examination.

At Tin Can, where previous arms shipments have been hidden beneath or among seemingly ordinary imported goods, the latest operation suggests traffickers continue to test the ability of security agencies to detect concealed weapons.

Customs authorities have consequently pledged to sustain surveillance and intelligence-driven enforcement across Nigeria’s ports and borders to prevent prohibited arms from entering the country.