Passengers Arrested With Over $6.1million Cash At Lagos Airport, Handed Over To EFCC

Security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA1) in Lagos State have reportedly arrested a group of passengers caught travelling with a staggering $6.1million in cash.

According to a Premium Times report, the suspects, described as a group of young men, were intercepted at the domestic terminal of the airport while preparing to board an Aero Contractors flight.

Multiple security sources familiar with the incident noted that the suspects were believed to be couriers for a politically exposed person (PEP), although their exact identities and destination were not immediately disclosed.

The passengers were apprehended by operatives of the Aviation Security (AVSEC) unit, who reportedly became suspicious after routine screening checks revealed the unusual amount of foreign currency being moved.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed that the suspects had been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interrogation and further investigation.

“We are still working with the EFCC to unravel the full details,” a senior AVSEC official said on Saturday.

Years ago, in a similar development, the Nigerian Customs operatives attached to the airport in Lagos had impounded the sum of $8,065,612 about to be illegally ferried out of the country through one of the international airlines in 2020.

The service said that the sum was discovered in 20 wraps inside a coaster bus at the tarmac of the airport on January 16, 2020 at the E-Wing of the airport.

Former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali (retd), had said that the money laundering was discovered through intelligence put in place by the command at the airport.(SaharaReporters)