The Airport Committee Special Task Force at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos at the weekend arrested two suspected passengers with three bags of money containing $2,073,160 and 20,300 Saudi Arabian Riyal (SAR) at the “E” wing departure area of the airport.
The suspects who were identified as Mr. Talal Hammoud with passport number A03599105 and Mr. Hassan Rmaiti, a Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN worker with duty card number 25009 and the three bags of money, were handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, by the Airport Committee Special Task Force for not declaring the currencies to officers on duty at the airport.
Speaking on the arrest, the Nigeria Customs Service Area Controller at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command Lagos, Mr. Eporwei Edike Charles said, the suspects and the three bags of money have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation and necessary action against the suspects.
According to Charles, the suspects violated regulations of government by attempting to smuggle such amount of money out of the country without declaring the currencies to Nigeria Custom’s currency desk officers on duty.
He, however, explained that the Airport Committee Special Task Force operating at the airport, comprises of all security agencies including, the EFCC, the State Security Service, SSS; the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA; the Nigeria Immigration Services, NIS, and other security agencies working at the airport.