The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has stopped an attempt to smuggle $193,000 into the country without declaring it. The cash was found hidden inside a yoghurt carton at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
According to NCS spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada, customs officers acted on a tip and inspected the suspicious package. The passenger carrying the money had arrived on Ethiopian Airlines flight No. 951 from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Nigeria’s financial laws require anyone carrying more than $10,000 in cash or negotiable instruments to declare it when entering or leaving the country.
Since this money was undeclared, it violated the Anti-Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Customs officials have handed over the seized funds to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation and possible legal action. The NCS emphasized its commitment to stopping illegal money transfers and urged all travellers to follow financial regulations when carrying large amounts of cash.
