Customs officers from the Idenau Customs Commercial Brigade have intercepted a massive shipment of military equipment being smuggled into Cameroon, in a major operation aimed at curbing the illicit trade in security gear.
Customs authorities say the interception took place on Sunday, September 6, during a routine check at the Idenau port terminal, where undeclared military equipment was found hidden within commercial cargo arriving from neighbouring Nigeria.
A physical count of the goods revealed 582 pairs of combat boots, 95 belts, 59 complete National Gendarmerie uniforms (jackets and trousers), and 50 military backpacks, a total of 786 high-risk military items removed from circulation.
Customs officials warned that the illegal importation of such equipment poses a direct threat to public peace if they fall in the hands of criminal groups who could use them to impersonate defence and security forces.
The seizure comes just over a month since the Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji banned NGOs and other groups in the country from wearing or possessing uniforms, insignia and other items that resemble those used by Defence and Security Forces or the United Nation.