Nigerian Customs Service Intercepts Dubai-bound Passenger With 2,886 ATM Cards

The Nigerian Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, yesterday turned over a suspect with 2,886 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The command said the suspect was nabbed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, while attempting to board an Emirates evacuation flight to Dubai.

Deputy Controller of Customs, MMIA Area Command, Abdulmumin Bako, who made this revelation while handing over the suspect to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Lagos, said the suspect was detained during outward screening of passengers.

“At about 11:45a.m. on August 22, at the departure hall gate ‘B’ of the MMIA, Abubakar was intercepted with 2,886 ATM cards and four SIM cards by our officers on duty. The ATM and SIM cards were carefully concealed in a noodles’ carton by the suspect.

" The suspect claimed that one Mr Musliu was assigned to him to facilitate his movement through the checks at the airport by one Mr Suleiman, but the diligence of our officers, who insisted on conducting physical examination, revealed the concealment.”

The Lagos Zonal Head, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the ATM cards could be used for money laundering or foreign exchange malpractices. He pledged that everyone involved in the scheme would be arrested and prosecuted .

The EFCC said though it is not a crime to be with ATM cards, but for a person to be in possession of 2,886 at a time brings about lots of suspicion.

Bawa also raised fresh alarm of Nigerians selling their bank accounts information to fraudsters, saying it has been the latest trend. “In the last couple of years, we noticed a new trend whereby Nigerians are selling off their bank accounts to fraudsters. The fraudsters advise them to open bank accounts and they buy them off for as low as N10,000.”