Foreigners arrested over attempt to smuggle $890,000

Juliana Francis

 

Operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service, Area Command, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, have arrested two Lebanese, Dina Jihad Khali and Chamseddine Waell Mohmmed for allegedly attempting to smuggle a total sum of $890,000 USD out of Nigeria, through the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.

 

The Customs operatives have handed the foreigners to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who had commenced investigation into the activities of the Lebanese.

 

The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said: “The suspects were arrested on August 12, 2020 and handed over to the Port Harcourt Zonal office of the EFCC for further investigation.”

 

While handing over the two suspects, A.B Mohammed Olayinka, Customs Area Controller, disclosed that Khali with Passport Number LR152975, Republic of Lebanon, was arrested with $670,000USD, while Mohammed with Passport Number LR0356598, also Republic of Lebanon, had $220,000USD. They were both arrested while trying to board a flight to Lebanon.

 

Olayinka further disclosed that the money recovered from the suspects, which they failed to declare to Customs, had been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Rivers State Branch, for safe keeping.

 

Principal Detective Superintendent Macaulay Olayinka, who received the suspects on behalf of the Zonal Head, thanked officers of the Customs Area Command for the synergy that exists between the Command and the EFCC.

 

He assured Nigerians that investigation will commence in earnest and that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation has been concluded.