Abdullateef Aliyu
The identities of the suspects nabbed with $6.1 million cash at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 in Lagos have been disclosed.
Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation security (AVSEC) had intercepted and arrested two travelers attempting to board a flight.
A reliable source at the airport had identified the suspects as Mahmud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi.
They were caught during routine checks of an Aero Contractors flight to Abuja.
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It was learnt that the passengers were found with multiple boxes loaded with undeclared U.S dollars.
Daily Trust reports that according to the country’s law against money laundering, passengers traveling with cash in excess of $10,000 are expected to declare the sum with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
It was also learnt that the personnel had initially passed through airport security units before they were arrested on the tarmac.
Sources who confirmed the arrested said the FAAN AVSEC handed over the suspects to the Department of State Services (DSS) who in turn handed them over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It was also learnt that the suspects were coming from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and they were scheduled to travel to Abuja and then Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Spokesperson of EFCC, Dele Oyewale confirmed that the two suspects are in their custody.
He said, “I can confirm to you that the suspects- two of them – were intercepted today and upon their arrest by the operatives of FAAN, they were handed over to us.
“The officials of FAAN handed them over to the DSS and the DSS handed them over to us.”
Also speaking CEO of Aero Contractors Ado Sanusi said, “What happened was that our security noticed some passengers trying to board our aircraft with bags that were quite heavy. Our security team advised them to check the bags in, as they could not be carried into the cabin.
“They refused to check the bags, and later they said it was money. When asked if the money had been declared, they said no. At that point, our security personnel discovered that the individuals were either police officers or some form of security agents, who claimed they were escorting a suspect along with exhibits. That was why they resisted checking in the bags.
“We then informed them that if they were transporting a suspect, they were required to notify us in advance. There are standard procedures for moving suspects; we don’t mix them with regular passengers. There are boarding, deboarding, and in-flight protocols that must be followed in such cases. Since they failed to follow these procedures, they were not allowed to board, and they eventually left.”
The suspects and the exhibits were received by CSE Margaret Lamai on behalf of the acting Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Ahmed Ghali.
