Navy arrests 9 arms smugglers in Lagos
By Andrew Orolua, Abuja
Nine persons allegedly involved in arms smuggling have been arrested by the navy working under the just concluded “Operation Junction Rain,” in which the United States military participated in.
The nine persons arrested for illegal possession of sophisticated weapons and military uniforms within Nigeria’s territorial waters, include three Greek citizens, one American and five Nigerians.
Addressing journalists before handing over the nine persons to the Interpol, the Officer -in -Tactical Command, Commodore Dickson Olisamunogor said the men were arrested during the just-concluded “Operation Junction Rain,” alongside a vessel painted in naval colours and named Sea Angel 3.
He said that when the vessel occupants were interrogated, they told the navy operatives that they had on board five Nigerians, but when the vessel was boarded, “we discovered other things including, sophisticated weapons and military out fits on board the vessel.”
Cmmdr. Olisamunogor said that the weapons found on board the vessel which is classified as MI4 weapons are dangerous at sea and that the navy discovered more crew members that the vessel had earlier declared.
“The arrested persons and the weapons were handed over to the head of the Interpol in Lagos, Tunji Akingbola, a deputy commissioner of police for further investigation and interrogation on their activities within Nigerian territorial waters,” he added.
The arrested persons are Angelopolous Spyridon, 54, (Greek citizen); Kappis Christos, 57, (Greek citizen); Petropoulos Stylianos, 34, (Greek citizen) and Zanski Michael-Anderson, 50 (an American). They were among the foreigners arrested on the boat while the special forces recovered four Bernelli MI-1 rifles, over 1, 000 ammunition and other military gadgets.
