In a recent development at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, officers of the Nigeria Customs Service made a significant arrest. An individual identified as Ifeanacho Marcellinus Ugbor, aged 41, was apprehended for being in possession of counterfeit $10,000. This alarming incident took place on Friday, November 10, 2023, as the suspect attempted to board an Ethiopian Airline (flight ET900) to Brazil. The individual was found to be in possession of a valid Nigerian passport with the number B00033052 at the time of his arrest.
Comptroller Charles Orbihi, the Customs Area Controller at MMIA Command, Ikeja, revealed that the suspect’s actions not only involved the possession of counterfeit currency but also violated section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) Act No 11, 2011 and Act No1, 2012. Orbihi emphasized that the suspect contravened a specific part of the section falling within the jurisdiction of the Nigeria Customs Service.
He stated, “The passenger, named Ifeanacho Marcellinus Ugbor, a forty-one-year-old Nigerian from Enugu State, was scheduled to travel from Murtala Muhammad International Airport with the Ethiopian Airline (flight ET900) to Brazil on Friday, 10th November, 2023. He was suspected to have contravened the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of Nigeria.”
Furthermore, Orbihi elaborated on the sequence of events, “The above-named suspect, having declared the sum of $10,000 USD on our Currency Declaration Form, our officers took a step further to examine the currency in line with section 66 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, and they discovered that the sum of $10,000 United States Dollars were all counterfeit. The suspect was refrained from travelling and detained for further investigation.”
Praising the vigilance of the officers involved, Orbihi remarked, “This achievement was as a result of due diligence of our officers. We have eagle-eyed officers in this Command, they are ready to work for twenty-four hours of the day and seven days of the week (24/7) combating all Customs related crimes and bringing to limelight the perpetrators.”
Concluding his statement, Orbihi highlighted the consequential actions taken, “We hereby hand over the sum of $10,000 USD counterfeited currency to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), along with the suspect’s valid Nigerian Standard passport No. B00033052, two phones, and his baggage for further necessary action.”
The swift and decisive actions of the Nigeria Customs Service exemplify their commitment to upholding the law and safeguarding the country’s financial integrity.
