Customs nab passenger smuggling $193,000 in Yoghurt carton

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The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted $193,000 in undeclared foreign currency concealed inside a carton of yoghurt at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The interception, which took place on Thursday, March 20, 2025, was the result of credible intelligence gathering and a vigilant baggage check on an inbound passenger.

Addressing journalists at the international wing of the Abuja airport, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Olumide Adebisi, revealed that the suspect, identified as Kamilu Abdullahi Sarina (40 years old), arrived in Nigeria onboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight No. 951 from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Acting on intelligence received earlier in the day, Customs officers conducted a detailed baggage inspection, leading to the discovery of the smuggled cash.

“Around the early hours of today, we received an intelligence report, which proved very helpful. This afternoon, one Kamilu Abdullahi Sarina, who boarded Ethiopian Airlines from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was found concealing a total sum of $193,000 inside a carton of yoghurt,” Adebisi stated.

The Customs boss explained that Sarina’s failure to declare the funds upon arrival violated the Anti-Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

These laws mandate that any traveller carrying more than $10,000 or its equivalent in negotiable instruments must declare it to Customs officials.

“The law clearly states that if a person has funds above $10,000, they must declare it to Customs. Failure to do so could result in the forfeiture of the money, a prison sentence of up to two years, or both,” Adebisi warned.

Providing further insight into how the smuggled money was uncovered, Adebisi credited advanced scanning technology for detecting an unusual density in the suspect’s luggage.

“When Mr. Kamilu Abdullahi Sarina’s luggage was scanned, we detected an unusual density. We allowed him to proceed but closely monitored his baggage.

“Upon further inspection, we discovered that the density was irregular, so we instructed him to return. In his presence, we checked the package and found the undeclared money hidden inside the yoghurt carton,” he explained.

Following the seizure, the intercepted $193,000 was officially handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution.

“As required by law, we are handing over the forfeited money to the EFCC for further necessary action.

“All travellers must comply with Nigeria’s financial regulations, particularly the legal requirement to declare any cash or negotiable instruments exceeding the approved threshold when travelling in or out of the country,” Adebisi stated.

He further emphasized that the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022 and the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 1995 provide clear guidelines on currency declaration.

“Non-compliance with these regulations violates Nigerian law and attracts severe penalties,” he added.