Customs arrest suspects with $2.7m at Lagos airport

Murtala Muhammad Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted $2.7m (or N432m) from five suspected money launderers while attempting to travel abroad.

The Public Relations Officers of the command, Mrs. Thelma Williams, told theNews Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos that the arrests were made between January and March 2013.

She said the command also arrested 12 suspects with $13.8m (N2.2bn) dollars from September to December 2012.

Williams said there was no law banning travellers from taking money out of the country but the money must be declared by the traveller before being taken out.

She said, “From $10,000, there must be a declaration. We have a form there on which travellers make a declaration stating the source of the money they are carrying and what that money is meant for. We’ll leave one of the forms here and send a copy to EFCC.

FG Bans Importation Of Recharge Cards, Other Materials

Federal government has banned the importation of a lot of materials which could be made of Nigeria or may lead to waste, in a bid to improve the country’s economy and to avoid being a dumping ground for western countries.

Top on the list of products banned are telephone re-charge cards and vouchers; noodles; second hand cars (tokunbo ); live or dead Birds including frozen poultry .

According to information on Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) website also banned are ; medicaments falling under headings 3003 and 3004 and they include: Paracetamol Tablets and Syrups; Cotrimoxazole Tablets Syrups; Metronidazole Tablets and Syrups; and Chloroquine Tablets and Syrups;

Also banned are; Haematinic Formulations; Ferrous Sulphate and Ferrous Gluconate Tablets, Folic Acid Tablets, Vitamine B Complex Tablet [except modified released formulations; and Multivitamin Tablets, capsules and Syrups [except special formulations]; Aspirin Tablets [except modified released formulation and soluble aspirin]; Magnesium trisilicate tablets and suspensions; Piperazine tablets and Syrups; Levamisole Tablets and Syrup; Clotrimazole Cream; Ointments – Penecilin/Gentamycin; Pyrantel Pamoate tablets and Syrups; and Intravenous Fluids [Dextrose, Normal Saline, etc.]

See the full import prohibition list below