Nigeria Customs seizes $193,000 hidden in yoghurt carton

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted $193,000 in undeclared foreign currency concealed in a yoghurt carton at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

According to the statement by the service on Friday, the seizure, which occurred on Thursday, followed a targeted baggage inspection based on “credible intelligence”.

The suspect, Kamilu Sarina, aged 40, arrived in Nigeria aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 951 from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“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,” said Olumide Adebisi, a Comptroller at the customs area controller for the Federal Capital Territory Command.

The suspect failed to declare the funds, in violation of the Anti-Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which require travellers in possession of over $10,000 to declare such sums to customs upon entry or exit.

“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,” Mr Adebisi said.

He explained that the concealment was uncovered during baggage scanning.

“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.”

The intercepted currency has been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution.

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“As required by law, we are handing over the forfeited money to the EFCC for further necessary action,” he said.

Reiterating the Customs’ commitment to financial regulation enforcement, Mr Adebisi warned travellers against attempting to bypass currency declaration rules.

“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,” he said.

“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.

Mr Adebisi also commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, for “creating an enabling working environment” that has improved operational efficiency within the Command.