By Bavoriat Clara
Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Area Command, have intercepted a passenger attempting to smuggle $49,000 in undeclared cash out of the country, handing him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation and prosecution.
The arrest, according to Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Effiong Harrison, occurred on the evening of Monday, 11 August 2025, when the passenger—booked on an Emirates Airlines flight to Dubai—declared only $10,000 at a routine Customs checkpoint. A thorough search, however, revealed an additional $49,000 concealed in his belongings.
“This action violates the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 50 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which require travellers to declare cash or monetary instruments exceeding $10,000 when entering or leaving Nigeria,” Harrison explained during a press briefing on Tuesday, 12 August 2025.
Despite repeated awareness campaigns and announcements at the airport, Harrison lamented, some passengers continue to flout currency declaration laws. He assured that officers remain vigilant, well-trained, and on 24-hour duty to detect and deter money laundering activities.
The suspect, a Nigerian national, along with the seized funds, travel documents, and other evidence, was formally handed over to the EFCC.
Receiving the case, Ahmed Gali, Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC’s Lagos Command, commended the Customs Service for its alertness and sustained inter-agency collaboration.
“This partnership is delivering tangible results. We will investigate this matter thoroughly, ensure justice is served, and make this a deterrent to others contemplating similar offences,” Gali affirmed.
Both agencies pledged to intensify public sensitisation on currency declaration rules, warning that violations will attract the full force of the law.
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