The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has launched an investigation after a woman was arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for attempting to travel with undeclared foreign currency. Officials said she was intercepted with $14,567 during a routine screening by the Nigeria Customs Service. The woman was immediately handed over to the EFCC for questioning.
EFCC probes woman arrested at Lagos Airport with undeclared cash as part of an ongoing operation targeting violations of Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws. Under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, travellers must declare any amount above $10,000 to customs officers before departure.
Failure to do so is a criminal offence. In this case, the woman did not declare the funds and could not provide documentation for the source or purpose of the money.
A spokesperson for the EFCC confirmed that the woman’s passport and cash were seized and that investigators have begun tracing the origin of the funds. If she is found to have violated financial laws, she may face prosecution. The EFCC says it is working closely with airport security units to monitor currency movement and prevent illicit capital outflows.
This latest incident adds to a growing list of similar arrests made in recent months. In May, a male passenger was caught at the same airport with $578,000. Earlier this month, another individual was detained at Kano airport carrying over $420,000 without proper declaration. The EFCC said it will continue to maintain surveillance at all exit points and warned that anyone attempting to smuggle foreign currency would be held accountable under Nigerian law.
The commission reiterated that there is no penalty for declaring amounts above the $10,000 limit, but failure to declare or falsely declaring will result in arrest and investigation. EFCC probes woman arrested at Lagos Airport with undeclared cash to deter such violations and ensure Nigeria meets international financial transparency standards.
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The identity of the suspect has not been released. EFCC officials say the investigation is ongoing and charges may be filed depending on the outcome of the probe. Travellers are urged to comply fully with cash declaration rules and cooperate with security agencies during airport screening.
