By Ifeyinwa Obi

A daring attempt by trigger-happy smugglers to take advantage of slow activities of security operatives yesterday to move 22 brand new vehicles into Lagos State, has been frustrated by operatives of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone ‘A’, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS.

The seizure of the vehicles in one fell swoop after a gun battle with the suspected smugglers, it was learnt, followed the renewed determination of the Unit’s new Comptroller, Deputy Comptroller Usman Adamu Turaki, to make business difficult for smugglers and their activities.

The 22 brand new vehicles, which were reportedly intercepted by the Unit around 11:45am at Ikoyi/Victoria Island axis of Lagos, comprise 19 Toyota Hilux pickup trucks, two Isuzu-DMAX jeeps and one Toyota Land Cruiser GRX 2014 model.

The vehicles were valued at N186, 474,128.00.

The FOU Zone ‘A’ Comptroller said the seizure was the outcome of meticulous intelligence gathering and subsequent ambush by the Unit’s operatives.

Turaki explained that FOU Zone ‘A’ operatives had trailed the vehicles from an unapproved route, but could not intercept the convoy there to avoid casualties.