The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted an undeclared sum of $193,000 concealed inside a carton of yogurt at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The seizure occurred on Thursday and involved a passenger on Ethiopian Airlines Flight No. 951 from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
According to Abdullahi Maiwada, NCS spokesperson, the operation was based on credible intelligence and meticulous baggage inspection. The suspect, identified as Kamilu Abdullahi Sarina, failed to declare the cash, violating Nigerian financial regulations that require travelers to declare amounts exceeding $10,000 upon arrival or departure.
The use of advanced scanning technology played a crucial role in detecting the unusual density of the suspect’s luggage, leading to the discovery of the hidden cash. The funds have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and potential prosecution.
Authorities have warned that failure to declare large cash sums could result in seizure, prosecution, and forfeiture under the country’s stringent financial laws.
