The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Tuesday announced the interception of €651,505 and $800,575, valued at about N2.28 billion, from an Austrian national at the airport.

The suspect, identified as Kavlak Onal, an Austrian citizen, was en route to Dubai aboard Emirates Airlines on Saturday, December 13, 2025, when the Anti-Money Laundering Unit of the command arrested him.

Speaking with journalists, the Customs Area Controller of the command, Comptroller Chidi Nwokorie, disclosed that the suspect and the seized foreign currencies would be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.

He urged passengers to always declare currencies, whether foreign or naira, to Customs officers, stressing that properly declared funds are not subject to seizure.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to enforce Customs regulations and collaborate with law enforcement agencies, we are handing over the following seized undeclared foreign currencies—€651,505 and $800,575, amounting to about N2,281,891,575 when converted to naira—to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This is also a demonstration of the synergy that has existed between the two agencies, knowing that nothing gives energy to strategy like synergy.

“This interception was made at about 1445 hours on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at the Departure Terminal 2, when Mr. Kavlak Onal, an Austrian national with passport number AP0084116, who was scheduled to travel on Emirates Airline to Dubai, was asked if he had any currency to declare and he said he did not.

“However, after a search was conducted, the amount mentioned above was discovered in his travelling bag. This contravenes extant laws which mandate all travellers, inbound and outbound, to declare foreign currencies or negotiable instruments exceeding the $10,000 threshold or its equivalent.”

Nwokorie noted that the interception was in line with existing laws empowering the Customs Service to curb illicit financial flows.

“It is worthy of note that this interception aligns with the laws and Acts which empower and confer on the Nigeria Customs Service the authority to prevent illicit financial flows and ensure strict implementation of Anti-Money Laundering obligations at all borders. These include Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1995; Section 3 (3–5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022; and Section 55 (1) of the NCS Act, 2023.”

The Customs boss further revealed that officers of the command resisted all attempts at compromise and successfully intercepted the funds, which were about to be smuggled out of the country.

He warned that anyone who fails to declare foreign currency above the $10,000 threshold risks prosecution and forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.

“The general public is hereby advised that carrying currency exceeding the legally approved threshold of $10,000 or its equivalent is not an offence. However, failure to declare, false declaration, or under-declaration of the prescribed amount constitutes an offence under the law.

“Therefore, I urge anyone who has nothing to hide and is engaged in legitimate business and trade to make an honest and full declaration of currency and other negotiable instruments above the $10,000 threshold at the Currency Declaration Desks in the Arrival and Departure Halls of the airport, or risk prosecution and forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.”

He subsequently handed over the suspect to the EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution.
“On behalf of the Nigeria Customs Service, and with the kind permission of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, the said passenger, Mr. Kavlak Onal, his international passport, and the undeclared currencies (€651,505 and $800,575) found on him are hereby duly handed over to the operatives of the EFCC for further necessary action.”

Responding, the Assistant Commander of the EFCC, Adejumo Richard, commended the level of inter-agency collaboration between the Customs Service and the Commission.

According to him, the EFCC would continue the investigation from where Customs stopped.

“We will pick up the investigation from where the Nigeria Customs Service stopped. We will do justice to the case and ensure a thorough investigation. I appreciate the Customs Service for the synergy that led to the interception of this huge sum of undeclared foreign currencies.”

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