Customs burst cross-border criminal syndicate, seize fake $6m, forged passports

Four members of cross border criminal syndicate were on Thursday arrested at Seme border with fake $6 million and a number of other prohibited items.

Seme border Customs Area Comptroller, Dear Nnadi, mni, disclosed that the fake currency bears the same serial number, adding that the money was being moved out of the country before it was intercepted at Gbaji customs post along the Lagos – Seme highway.

He also said besides the confiscation of the currency, a total of six international passport of Malta Republic bearing the same photograph but with different names.

According to the Customs boss, the same lady whose name is on the passport also has six international driver’s license with her photograph but with six different names.

He said, ”Our officers at Gbaji check point intercepted a vehicle and upon searching them, we discover the currency you are seeing here. These are fake United States Dollar Bills.

“When we counted them, it amounted to $6 million United States Dollars Bills in fake currency but it will take the eagle eye of a trained officer to detect that they are fake. One of the land marks is that some of the Bills bear the same serial number besides that, it will be very difficult for anybody to detect that these Dollar Bills are fake.

“Two people were arrested in connection with this development.

“Similarly to this, we also arrested few hours after this, we also arrested two other passengers in another vehicle and upon searching them and their baggage, we discover some international passports