The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has concluded plans to arraign two suspects arrested with 448 travellers’ cheques and 108 ATM cards respectively.
In a statement released by the agency’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, it was revealed that one Jonathan Odu Isikwei, 51, was arrested for unlawful possession of 448 travellers’ cheques, while the other, Pascal Onuora Udeh, aged 34, was nabbed for being in possession of 108 pieces of Automated Teller Machine,ATM,/Debit cards.
Isikwei , a native of Igbodo in Aniocha local government area of Delta State, was caught at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, when carrying out their duty of outside clearance of passengers on a Belgium-bound flight.
Thereafter, the NDLEA transferred the case to the EFCC for further investigation.
The 448 travellers’ cheques found on Isikwei were supposed properties of four banks in America, Europe and Canada. EFCC indicated that the banks and the travellers’ cheques are: Gun Nebo International of Bank of Nova Scotia – 117 pieces, Postbank Frankfurt – 258 pieces, Safe Federal Credit Union – 41 pieces and Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS, – 32 pieces.
It further revealed that all the travellers’ cheques were signed and some had monetary value written on them while among the cheques belonging to Safe Federal Credit Union, 27 pieces were blank while 14 pieces had monetary value worth 322,800 USD.
The EFCC spokesman also disclosed that twenty-seven pieces of the travellers’ cheques belonging to Gun Nebo Canada International were blank while 90 pieces had monetary value worth 354,300 Canadian dollars.
According toUwujaren, the suspect claimed that he exports dried fish from Nigeria to Belgium and informed the investigators that he got the parcel and was expected to deliver it to a friend claiming no knowledge of it content.
For Udeh, he claimed he was a trader and an undergraduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. He said he is a native of Umudim Village of Obibi, Ochasi Ato, in Orlu local government area of Imo State.
According to the EFCC, Udeh was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, by the NDLEA when they were carrying out an outward clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airline flight to China.
Udeh claimed he received the 108 debit cards from his business associates and had plans to use them to purchase men’s wears in China.
The EFCC spokesman said the suspects are scheduled to be charged to court immediately investigations are concluded.