Nigeria Customs seizes $578,000 from passenger at Lagos airport, fingers it over to EFCC
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport (MMIA) Command, has handed over $578,000 in seized money to the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC) after a passenger falsely declared the quantity on the airport, officers introduced on Friday.
The passenger, a male traveler arriving in Lagos from Johannesburg aboard South African Airways Flight SA60, initially declared $279,000 on the airport’s forex declaration desk.
Nonetheless, throughout a routine inspection, customs officers found an extra $299,000 hid in a number of packages, bringing the overall sum to $578,000.
Authorities additionally discovered €100 and a counterfeit $250 notice among the many undeclared money.
Effiong Harrison, the Comptroller of MMIA Command, who oversaw the handover to the EFCC, said that the suspect’s actions violated the Cash Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2011. The regulation mandates that vacationers carrying greater than $10,000 or its equal in any overseas forex should declare it to customs officers.
“This can be a clear violation of Nigeria’s {financial} rules,” Harrison stated. “Vacationers should declare any money exceeding $10,000. The suspect failed to take action, concealing a major sum in an try to evade scrutiny. His failure to conform has led to the forfeiture of the funds and additional investigation.”
Harrison famous that the suspect’s worldwide passport and different related paperwork had additionally been handed over to the EFCC for needed authorized motion.
What to know
Customs officers pressured that {financial} crimes comparable to cash laundering threaten Nigeria’s economic system and undermine investor confidence. Harrison reiterated the command’s dedication to implementing the regulation and stopping illicit {financial} flows by Lagos’ worldwide airport.
“We’re working to make sure that Nigeria stays a secure and credible funding vacation spot,” Harrison stated. “Violations like this not solely tarnish our fame but additionally influence our {financial} establishments. We can not enable people to abuse the system for private acquire.”
- The EFCC, Nigeria’s main anti-corruption company, has now taken over the case. Ahmed Ghali, the Appearing Director of the EFCC’s Lagos Workplace 2, counseled customs officers for his or her vigilance and urged vacationers to stick strictly to the regulation.
“Nobody is prohibited from carrying money, however full disclosure is required,” Ghali stated. “Trustworthy declaration is necessary, whatever the quantity. If vacationers comply with the correct procedures, they won’t encounter any points. Nonetheless, any try to evade these rules will likely be met with the complete power of the regulation.”
- The EFCC will now conduct additional investigations to find out the supply of the funds and whether or not the suspect was concerned in a bigger cash laundering scheme. Officers haven’t but launched the suspect’s identification.
- The seizure highlights ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to clamp down on {financial} crimes and guarantee transparency in {financial} transactions. Through the years, airports have been key factors of interception for undeclared funds linked to cash laundering and illicit {financial} actions.
As enforcement companies proceed to tighten rules, officers urge vacationers to adjust to {financial} reporting legal guidelines to keep away from authorized penalties. The case stays underneath investigation.
