Security officials at the local wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, on Saturday, intercepted and arrested some passengers attempting to board a flight with over $6.1 million cash at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 in Lagos.
Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the money was being transported by a group of young men suspected to be acting on behalf of a politically exposed person.
The suspects, whose exact number was not disclosed, were reportedly caught during routine checks while trying to board an Aero Contractors flight.
Sources said the suspects were apprehended by officials of the Aviation Security (AVSEC) unit.
It was gathered that the personnel had initially passed through airport security units before they were apprehended at the foot of the aircraft after Aero Contractors security noticed the heavy luggage.
The matter was then escalated and was reported to AVSEC, who later handed it over to the Department of State Services (DSS).
The passengers were reportedly found with multiple boxes loaded with undeclared United States dollars.
A senior official of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria said that the DSS later transferred the suspects to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where they are currently being held for further investigation.
‘We are still working with the EFCC to unravel the full details’, a senior AVSEC official said on Saturday.
Another airport said that the suspects had claimed to be security agents escorting a suspect and exhibits, but failed to declare the cash or follow due procedures for transporting suspects on commercial flights.
The source said that that claim might have helped the suspects bypass the initial security screening. However, their activities raised suspicion at the boarding gate when AVSEC officers noticed the oversized boxes.
The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi confirmed the incident, saying his airline’s security team grew suspicious after the individuals refused to check in their heavy bags.
He explained that the bags contained money, and when asked if it had been declared, the suspects said no.
He explained: ‘What happened was that our security noticed some passengers trying to board our aircraft with bags that were quite heavy. Our security team advised them to check the bags in, as they could not be carried into the cabin.
‘They refused to check the bags, and later they said it was money. When asked if the money had been declared, they said no. At that point, our security personnel discovered that the individuals were either police officers or some form of security agents, who claimed they were escorting a suspect along with exhibits. That was why they resisted checking in the bags.
‘We then informed them that if they were transporting a suspect, they were required to notify us in advance. There are standard procedures for moving suspects; we don’t mix them with regular passengers. There are boarding, deboarding, and in-flight protocols that must be followed in such cases. Since they failed to follow these procedures, they were not allowed to board, and they eventually left’.
