The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command, has impounded $578,000 in cash that was falsely declared by a passenger.
The money was handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday for further investigation.
The suspect, who arrived in Lagos on South African Airways from Johannesburg on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, initially declared $279,000 at the Currency Declaration Desk.
However, a further inspection uncovered an additional $299,000 concealed in various packages, bringing the total to $578,000.
Additionally, Customs discovered another 100 euros and a counterfeit $250 in the passenger’s possession.
The NCS explained that the suspect’s actions violated the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2021, which mandates that individuals declare any currency or negotiable instruments exceeding $10,000.
The false declaration led to the suspect being handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action.
The Customs Area Controller of the command, Effiong John Harrison, emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration in maintaining economic security and national well-being.
He said: “We have been facing issues with people engaging in activities detrimental to the growth and prosperity of this country.
“One such group includes currency traffickers, whose actions harm the economy by hindering growth, devaluing our currency, and eroding public trust in the financial system.
“Today, we reaffirm our commitment to the public in arresting and stopping nefarious activities that have brought the country into disrepute with the international community.
“We are ready and continuously working together as government agencies to ensure that those involved in these activities do not use the Lagos International Airport for their illicit transactions.”
The Acting Zonal Director of Lagos II for the EFCC, ACE1 Ahmed Ghali, commended the NCS for its swift and effective action in apprehending the passenger involved in the false currency declaration.
Ghali urged members of the public to comply with the law, which requires passengers travelling in or out of Nigeria to declare any cash exceeding $10,000.
He said: “Honest and accurate declarations are mandatory and straightforward. Non-compliance, including false or non-declaration, is a crime. Such acts jeopardize our economy, financial systems, and global reputation by exposing us to money laundering risks and sanctions.”
