By Okuneye Moyosola
Following the mind-boggling $8million cash seizures displayed by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the Comptroller-General of the Service, Col. Hammed Ali (Rtd.) has urged travelers in and out of the country to make declaration of physical cash above 10, 000 dollars.
Ali made this call during a press briefing today, stressing that the declaration is necessary to prevent illegal criminal activities like international terrorism, drug smuggling and arms proliferation.
“I am appealing to Nigerian travelers and those in business to make it a duty to make declaration of cash with them if they choose to carry such. The threshold remains 10, 000 dollars and I will like to give assurance that they have nothing to fear in the process. Nigerians should follow the law. It is safer and better”, he said.
This is just as the Murtala Mohammed Airport Customs Command intercepted the illegal movement of foreign currency of about 8, 065,612 million dollars at the ‘E” wing of the tarmac.
“The Customs Operatives at about 1200hrs on 16 January 2020, intercepted illegal movement of foreign currency at the ‘E’ wing of the Tarmac. The consignment packed in a coaster bus was loaded with six big bagco bags. One suspect, the driver of the bus, Chimezie Okonkwo was arrested and taken into custody with the intercepted consignment”
According to the Customs, on Saturday, 18 January 2020, an inventory of the consignment was taken, and was witnessed by representatives of the Directorate of State Security, Customs Intelligence Unit , Anti- Money –Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Unit, Customs Police and the suspects.
“At the end of the inventory taking, a total number of 20 sealed wraps were opened, counted, re-seated and re-wrapped under video coverage from the beginning of the exercise to the end. The total amount intercepted stood at eight million, sixty five thousand, six hundred and twelve dollars only”, the Customs boss narrated.
The Comptroller also noted that preliminary investigations has commended on the seizure, noting that the case will be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
He also commended the officers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport for their diligence and enjoined all other commands to borrow a leaf from them in order to ensure national economic security.
