The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, has intercepted $578,000 falsely declared by an inbound passenger arriving from South Africa.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the command, John Harrison, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Friday.
He explained that the suspect, identified as Mr. Okorie Sunday, arrived in Nigeria on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Upon arrival, he exhibited suspicious behaviour, prompting customs officers to conduct a search.
“The passenger was said to have declared $279,000 and hid $299,000 on his body, bringing the total money to $578,000. This contravenes the threshold of $10,000 approved by law,” Harrison stated.
Additionally, the suspect was found with £100 and a counterfeit $250. The seized cash was handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after being jointly counted and verified by both agencies.
Harrison emphasised that such unlawful actions threaten the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system. He noted that customs has made declaration forms available at all airline counters to ensure compliance with the law.
Receiving the intercepted funds, EFCC acting Zonal Director Ahmed Ghali advised the public against such violations, reminding travellers that any amount exceeding $10,000 must be declared.
Ghali further warned that such activities contribute to money laundering and could tarnish Nigeria’s reputation as a potential hub for illicit financial flows. He assured that the EFCC would investigate the money’s legitimacy and take appropriate legal action.
