Operatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have arrested two travellers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for allegedly failing to declare cash totalling £53,415 and $6,180,000 in their possession.
The travellers, Mamud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi, were arrested on Saturday at the airport’s domestic wing as they attempted to board an Abuja-bound flight.
According to Punch, the suspects were security operatives who had evaded initial routine checks under the guise of escorting a suspect with the cash as exhibits.
However, they reportedly failed to follow due procedures for transporting suspects on commercial flights.
FAAN officials flagged the travellers after they attempted to board with boxes of cash that exceeded the permitted cabin luggage allowance.
The incident was said to have happened on an Aero Contractors flight.
In a statement, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the suspects were first detained by FAAN officials and later transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS), which subsequently handed them over to the commission for further investigation.
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The travellers had arrived in the country from Dubai en route to Addis Ababa, the EFCC noted.
“Also found on the suspects are three mobile phones,” the statement added.
The commission said it had commenced investigations into the matter.
