Ngaoundéré: Cameroon’s customs authorities have announced the seizure of 3,144 war munitions at the Tchabal checkpoint, located at the entrance to the city of Ngaoundéré in the Adamawa region. The information was disclosed in a communique signed by Finance Minister Louis Paul Motaze on dated October 29, 2024.

According to Cameroon News Agency, the Customs Chief reported that the ammunition was seized at 03:20 am in a public transport bus coming from Maroua and bound for Yaoundé on October 28. Reports indicate that the seized munitions included cartridges for automatic pistols, Kalashnikov rifles, and M21 rifles.

The owner of the luggage, named Charles, is said to have earlier introduced himself as a soldier working in MINDEF, in the Far North. However, after an unsuccessful attempt to escape, he was apprehended and transferred to the Military Security (SEMIL) in Yaoundé, where he is pending investigation.

Customs officers in this part of the country were operating as part of phase 3 of a mission called ‘st
op illicit trade’ in collaboration with forces of defense and security. This seizure occurs amid a rise in insecurity in the Adamawa region, characterized by kidnappings and ransom demands. A similar situation exists in other conflict-affected areas of the country, including the Anglophone crisis in English-speaking regions and the Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North.