LAGOS : The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, has intercepted $578,000 in undeclared cash from an inbound passenger arriving from South Africa. The Customs Area Controller of the command, John Harrison, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Friday.
According to Harrison, the suspect, identified as Mr. Okorie Sunday, arrived in Nigeria on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, with the undeclared funds hidden on his body.
He explained that upon arrival at the airport, the passenger exhibited suspicious behavior, prompting officers on duty to conduct a search.
The passenger initially declared $279,000 but concealed an additional $299,000 on his body, bringing the total to $578,000. This violates the legal threshold of $10,000 for undeclared cash,” Harrison stated.
Further investigation also revealed that the suspect had concealed £100 and a counterfeit $250.
The seized cash was counted and verified in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before being handed over to the anti-graft agency for further investigation.
Harrison emphasized that such illegal activities compromise the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system. He also noted that customs have provided declaration forms at airline counters to encourage compliance with the law.
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Receiving the intercepted funds, EFCC Acting Zonal Director Ahmed Ghali warned against such offenses, urging travelers to declare cash exceeding $10,000 as required by law.
Ghali stressed that such financial crimes expose Nigeria to money laundering risks and damage the country’s global financial reputation. He further assured that the EFCC would investigate the source and legitimacy of the money before taking further action.
