National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has
arrested a 34-year-old man with 108 Automated Teller
Machine debit cards at the Murtala Muhammed
International airport in Lagos.
NDLEA arrests man with 108 ATM cards
The suspected man is reportedly working for an
international criminal organization. Pascal Udeh was
arrested while he was trying to board a Qatar Airline flight
to China.
Premium Times reports that the ATM cards belong to five
commercial banks.
Ahmadu Garba, the NDLEA commander at the Lagos
airport, said the Pascal was arraigned in connection with
supposed money laundering and was straightaway carried
out to the assets and financial investigation directorate of
the agency for the probe.
Agency said that the highest number of debt cards belong
to First City Monument Bank, 23 cards to Stanbic IBTC
Bank; 19 – Zenith Bank, 6 – Fidelity Bank, and 2 from
Diamond Bank.
Victoria Egbase, the director of assets and financial
investigation, said the NDLEA had constituted a prima
facie case of financial crime against the man and that the
chair had directed the transfer of the case to the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission for further inquiry.
Ahmadu Giade, the NDLEA chairman, said: “This is a
suspected money laundering case involving cash transfer
with debit cards,” said Mr. Giade.
“The EFCC will carry out further investigation on the case.
We must continue to work together as a united force
against criminal syndicates.”
The agency cited the suspect as saying that he was asked
to take the cards to China.
Udeh said: “I am not the owner of the cards.”
“I was told to take them to China and that somebody will
collect them from me when I get there. I have a shop
where I sell clothes at Onitsha main market.
“I am also a 300-level student of Nnamdi Azikiwe
University Awka, Anambra state studying history and
international relations. I never knew it would lead to my
arrest.”
The arrested man comes from Obibi in Orlu local
government area of Imo state.
