The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted $193,000 undeclared foreign currency concealed in a carton of yoghurt at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The recovery on Thursday followed credible intelligence and checks on inbound passengers at the airport.
Addressing newsmen at the international wing of the airport, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Olumide Adebisi, disclosed that the suspect, Kamilu Abdullahi Sarina, 40, arrived in Nigeria onboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight No. 951 from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Acting on intelligence, Customs officers were said to have conducted a detailed inspection, which led to the discovery.
“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 yoghurt,” Adebisi said.
He explained that the undeclared cash violates the Anti-Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, both of which mandate that any traveller in possession of funds exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent in negotiable instruments must declare it to the Nigeria Customs Service upon arrival or departure.
“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.” He explained.
Providing further details on how Customs officers uncovered the smuggled cash, Adebisi noted that advanced scanning technology helped in detecting the unusual density of the suspect’s luggage.
“When Mr. Kamilu Abdullahi Sarina’s luggage was scanned, we detected an unusual density. We allowed him to proceed but closely monitored his baggage.
“Upon further inspection, we discovered that the density was irregular, so we instructed him to return. In his presence, we checked the package and found the undeclared money hidden inside the yoghurt carton.” He said.
The seized cash was handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution.
“As required by law, we are handing over the forfeited money to the EFCC for further necessary action,” Adebisi stated.
Reaffirming the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to enforcing financial regulations and preventing illicit financial flows across borders, Comptroller Adebisi warned that travellers attempting to bypass financial regulations would face strict legal consequences.
He said, “All travellers must comply with Nigeria’s financial regulations, particularly the legal requirement to declare any cash or negotiable instruments exceeding the approved threshold when travelling in or out of the country.”
“The Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022 and the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 1995 provide clear guidelines on currency declaration. Non-compliance with these regulations violates Nigerian law and attracts severe penalties,” he added.
Adebisi further assured that the FCT Command will continue collaborating with sister agencies, particularly the EFCC, to strengthen border security and financial crime enforcement.
He urged travellers and stakeholders to remain vigilant and adhere to lawful financial practices.
On March 13, the NCS intercepted $1.15m and SR135,900 undeclared foreign currency at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
The seizure was made during a routine baggage check on an inbound passenger, Hauwa Ibrahim Abdullahi, who arrived on Saudi Flight No. SV401 from Saudi Arabia.
During the physical examination of the passenger’s luggage conducted by NCS Officers, the undeclared currency was discovered concealed in palm-date fruit packs locally called Dabino.
