Customs seize $1.15m, SR135,900 (Saudi Riyals) at Kano airport

Customs seize $1.15m, SR135,900 (Saudi Riyals) at Kano airport

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has seized $1,154,900 and SR135,900 (Saudi Riyals), in undeclared foreign currency at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, Kano State.

Using today’s exchange rate of N1,553/$1 the seizure of $1,154,900 is equivalent of N1,793,000,000, while the Saudi Riyals of 135,900 is worth N54,493,710, using the current exchange rate of N400.9/1SR.

The total seizure is N1,847,493,710 and was made recently during a routine baggage check on an inbound passenger, Hauwa Ibrahim Abdullahi, who arrived on Saudi Airlines Flight No. SV401 from Saudi Arabia.

During a physical inspection of the passenger’s luggage, NCS officers uncovered the undeclared foreign currency cleverly concealed within packs of palm dates, locally known as Dabino.

In a statement by the National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, on behalf of Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi, the interception was described as a testament to the Nigeria Customs Service’s unwavering commitment to enforcing financial regulations and curbing illicit financial flows across the country’s borders. “In line with established procedures, the suspect and the seized foreign currency have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and necessary legal action.

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“Subsequently, the court convicted the defendant as charged and ordered the forfeiture of the undeclared money to the Federal Government in line with the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022,” the statement reads in part.