TD The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 204 MAS 49 Alter Magnum pump-action rifles concealed among household goods in a 20-foot container imported from Turkey through the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The seizure was announced during a press briefing at the Tin Can Island Port Command.
Customs officials said the operation was the result of intelligence gathering, surveillance and a 100 per cent physical examination of the suspicious container.
According to the NCS, the container, identified as TEMU 184536/9, arrived at the port aboard the MV Algeciras Express on August 16, 2026, after which credible intelligence prompted Customs officers to flag the shipment for examination.
The Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Investigation and Inspection, Timi Bomodi, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the container was subjected to a 100 per cent physical examination on August 18.
The inspection reportedly revealed knocked-down firearm components concealed among declared used goods, including furniture, refrigerators, solar panels and detergent.
Customs also discovered discrepancies in the shipment documentation, particularly concerning the identity of the consignee, with officials saying the inconsistencies have become part of an ongoing investigation into the shipment and those connected with it.
Following the discovery, personnel from the NCS Armament Unit worked with officials of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) under the Office of the National Security Adviser to examine and assemble the recovered components.
The joint exercise resulted in the recovery of 204 fully assembled MAS 49 Alter Magnum pump-action rifles, alongside additional firearm components.
The leftover components included 39 trigger pins, 58 locking lugs, 53 charging handles, 55 pistol-grip screws, 56 springs, 56 trigger groups, 38 forward grips or handguards, 67 forward-grip latches, 56 pistol grips, 54 barrels and two U-plates.
Bomodi described the interception as evidence of the Customs Service’s intensified surveillance and intelligence-led enforcement against the movement of illicit firearms through Nigeria’s ports and borders.
He also warned smugglers, arms traffickers and their collaborators that the use of household goods, concealed containers and inaccurate or inconsistent import documentation would increasingly fail to evade Customs detection as intelligence gathering, technological tools, cargo profiling and inter-agency cooperation are strengthened.
The latest seizure comes only weeks after Customs intercepted another shipment at the same port containing knocked-down components that were subsequently assembled into 399 JOJEF pump-action rifles.
That earlier consignment was handed over to the NCCSALW under the Office of the National Security Adviser after Customs completed its examination and assembly of the weapons.
The August seizures have, therefore, highlighted growing scrutiny of attempts to move firearms into Nigeria through maritime cargo channels, particularly by disguising or dismantling weapons and declaring them as legitimate commercial goods.
Customs said the 204 rifles and accompanying components have been secured and documented for formal handover to the NCCSALW.
Meanwhile, investigations continue into the importer, consignee and other individuals potentially connected to the shipment.
The development underscores the security significance of intelligence-led cargo screening at Nigeria’s ports, particularly amid concerns over the proliferation of illicit firearms and their potential diversion to criminal networks.
This medium will continue to monitor developments surrounding the investigation and any announcement by the authorities regarding arrests, charges or further findings connected to the intercepted shipment.
