Customs Intercepts Undeclared $461,600 at Kano Airport, Hands Suspects to EFCC
The Kano/Jigawa Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intensified efforts against illicit cross-border cash movement with the interception of 461,600 United States dollars from two inbound passengers at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
The interception was disclosed in a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) Tahir Balarabe, and made available to journalists in Kano on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the two suspects, a male and a female passenger, arrived in Kano from Dubai aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Friday, May 8, 2026.
Balarabe said the passengers initially declared 130,000 dollars and 180,000 dollars respectively, but further non-intrusive baggage profiling by Customs officers raised suspicion, leading to a secondary examination of their luggage.
He explained that the additional search uncovered another 151,600 dollars concealed and undeclared, bringing the total amount intercepted to 461,600 dollars.
Speaking during the formal handover of the suspects and the seized funds, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Usman Adamu, said the interception underscored the Service’s renewed vigilance against illicit financial flows through Nigeria’s borders.
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Adamu stated that the suspects violated provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023, which mandates travellers to make accurate currency declarations.
“The suspects contravened Section 55(f) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023. In line with Section 4(f) of the same Act, we are formally handing over the suspects, the intercepted currencies and all relevant travel documents to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for further investigation,” he said.
The acting controller commended the leadership of the EFCC for sustained inter-agency collaboration and also lauded the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, for strengthening enforcement operations through intelligence-driven strategies and continuous personnel training.
Receiving the suspects and exhibits on behalf of the EFCC, the Acting Zonal Director of the Commission in Kano, Friday Ebelo, described the operation as a demonstration of professionalism and effective inter-agency cooperation.
Ebelo noted that non-declaration or false declaration of currencies above the statutory threshold constitutes a serious financial offence under Nigerian law.
“Any traveller carrying funds above 10,000 dollars is expected by law to declare it. Anything short of that raises serious concerns about money laundering. I want to assure you that this case will be pursued to its logical conclusion,” he said.
The suspects, intercepted funds and other relevant documents were formally handed over to the EFCC on Monday, May 11, 2026, at the Customs Command Headquarters in Bompai, Kano.
By PRNigeria
