The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized $578,000 in undeclared foreign currency from a passenger at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), marking one of the largest recent cash interceptions linked to suspected money laundering.
The incident occurred on Friday, March 21, when a male traveler arriving from Johannesburg aboard South African Airways Flight SA60 declared $279,000 at the airport’s currency desk. However, during a routine inspection, customs officers discovered an additional $299,000 concealed in multiple packages within his luggage, alongside €100 and a counterfeit $250 note. The total undeclared amount of $578,000, nearly 60 times the legal limit, was immediately confiscated.
Effiong Harrison, Comptroller of the MMIA Command, confirmed the seizure violated Nigeria’s Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2011, which mandates that travelers carrying over $10,000 (or equivalent in foreign currency) must declare it to authorities. “This was a deliberate attempt to bypass financial regulations,” Harrison stated. “The suspect’s actions undermine Nigeria’s economic integrity and investor confidence. We’ve handed over his international passport and all documents to the EFCC for prosecution.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, has taken custody of the funds and launched an investigation into the source of the money. Ahmed Ghali, Acting Director of EFCC’s Lagos Office 2, warned that undeclared cash movements risk severe penalties. “Full disclosure is non-negotiable. Honest travelers face no issues, but evasion will be met with strict legal action,” he said.
This seizure follows a similar incident days earlier at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, where customs intercepted $193,000 hidden inside a carton of yogurt. Authorities attribute the uptick in interceptions to heightened surveillance at major entry points, part of a federal push to curb capital flight and money laundering.
Customs officials emphasized that undeclared cash often fuels illegal activities, including terrorism financing and tax evasion. Harrison reiterated the NCS’s commitment to “safeguarding Nigeria’s financial systems” and urged travelers to comply with declaration rules to avoid forfeitures and criminal charges.
While the Lagos suspect’s identity remains undisclosed, EFCC sources say the probe will trace the money’s origins and potential ties to broader syndicates. The agency has secured 29 convictions for internet fraud in Benin City this week alone, signaling intensified efforts to tackle financial crimes ahead of global anti-corruption reviews.
Experts note that Nigeria’s porous borders and cash-driven economy make it a hotspot for illicit financial flows, with the World Bank estimating $18 billion annually lost to money laundering.
