Security Operatives Intercept Young Men Believed to Be Couriers for a Politically Exposed Person.
Security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA1) in Lagos State have arrested a group of passengers caught traveling with a staggering sum of $6.1 million in cash. The suspects have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an immediate investigation into suspected money laundering.
The passengers, described in reports as a group of young men, were intercepted by operatives of the Aviation Security (AVSEC) unit at the domestic terminal. They were preparing to board an Aero Contractors flight when routine screening checks revealed the massive amount of undisclosed foreign currency.
Multiple security sources familiar with the incident noted that the suspects are believed to be couriers for a politically exposed person (PEP), although their exact identities and intended destination were not immediately disclosed.
The suspects were immediately transferred to the anti-graft agency to determine the source of the funds and its intended use. A senior AVSEC official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing probe, confirmed the operational synergy:
”We are still working with the EFCC to unravel the full details,” the official said.
The large-scale bust is one of the biggest seizures of cash at the domestic terminal in recent years and highlights renewed efforts by security agencies to clamp down on illicit financial flows and money laundering activities within the country’s airport system.
