In a major crackdown against illicit financial activities, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted $193,000 concealed in a yoghurt carton at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Speaking to journalists at the airport’s international terminal, Comptroller Olumide Adebisi, the Customs Area Controller, outlined the sequence of events:
“Around the early hours of today, we received an intelligence report, which proved very helpful. This afternoon, one Kamilu Abdullahi Sarina, who boarded Ethiopian Airlines from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was found concealing a total sum of $193,000 inside a carton of yogurt,” Adebisi said.
The concealment of such a large sum violates provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Under these laws, travelers carrying amounts exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent must declare the funds upon arrival or departure. Failure to comply may result in forfeiture, imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
“The law clearly states that if a person has funds above $10,000, they must declare it to Customs. Failure to do so could result in the forfeiture of the money, a prison sentence of up to two years, or both.”
Providing further details on how the money was discovered, Adebisi explained: “The suspect’s luggage was scanned, revealing unusual density. Although we allowed him to proceed, our officers continued to monitor his baggage. A subsequent inspection confirmed that the density was irregular, leading to the discovery of the cash hidden within the yoghurt carton.”
The seized funds have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and possible prosecution. Comptroller Adebisi emphasized, “We are following the legal procedure by transferring the seized amount to the EFCC for appropriate action.”
