At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) seized travellers’ cheques in various foreign currencies totaling N1.2 billion.
Femi Babafemi, a spokesman for the NDLEA, announced this in a statement on Sunday.
At least one suspect, Oguma Richard Uchenna, has been detained in connection with the effort to export the cheques to the United Kingdom, he added. The cheques were carefully placed within four bound hard cover volumes disguised as academic project literatures.
“The financial instruments suspected to be counterfeits were discovered on Wednesday 27th April at NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport during cargo examination of some consignments meant for exportation to the UK on a cargo flight.
“A breakdown of the cheques shows they have monetary values of US$287, 623.31; Canadian $1,456,300 and 1,297,800 Euros.”
According to Babafemi, in the same vein, operatives of NDLEA at the airport foiled attempt by drug traffickers to smuggle into Nigeria 10.89kg of cocaine through a Qatar Airways flight.
He said the illicit drug was hidden in seven children duvets packed in an unaccompanied bag from Brazil.