Customs Intercepts Cryptocurrency Machines, 148 Drones At Lagos Airport

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reported a significant interception at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Naija News reports that between January and April this year, officers seized fake $1.2 million notes, 148 drones, and five cryptocurrency machines.

The confiscated items were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Army in a ceremony on Thursday.

The customs area commander, Charles Orbih, led the handover session, which was in line with directives from Bashir Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of Customs.

Orbih explained that the counterfeit currencies were handed to Oguzi Moses, an assistant commander of the EFCC, while the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other military hardware were delivered to Major General Muhammad Usman, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division of the Nigerian Army.

Orbih highlighted the challenges in managing drone imports, noting that most UAVs were abandoned at the airport after importers failed to present the required end-user certificates (EUC) from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

“Virtually all the drones were abandoned, while drones above 250 grams are to come with EUCs and whenever we ask for the certificate, they abandon the UAVs,” he stated.

In addition to the seizures, Orbih shared that the NCS’s activities at the Lagos airport have not only been about enforcement but also about enhancing revenue generation.

From January to April, the command collected N19 billion in revenue, marking a 67 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.

“This represents 42 percent collection of the annual revenue target given to the command for the year 2024,” Orbih added.

The customs area commander reaffirmed the commitment of his team to suppressing smuggling, facilitating legitimate trade, and securing national interests.

He also detailed other seizures, which included precious stones like zinc, lithium, and copper stones/sand, 120 SIM cards, four drones with a duty-paid value of N7.8 million, one wooden giraffe statue, and five bulletproof jackets valued at N1.25 million.

The post Customs Intercepts Cryptocurrency Machines, 148 Drones At Lagos Airport appeared first on Naija News.