newspaper reported that the accused persons brought the money which is in bundles of unused $100 bills, packed in three suitcases in a small business jet, a Bombardier Challenger 600 with a Nigerian crew.
According to the report,
the jet departed Abuja on September 5 and when it arrived South Africa, Customs
officers became suspicious when the passengers’ luggage was unloaded and put
through the scanners just after 7pm.
The officers then
investigated and found three suitcases full of cash. The passengers then told
customs officials that they were acting on behalf of the Nigerian intelligence
services and provided documentation to confirm that they had come to South
Africa to buy weapons for Nigerian security services. It was not clear whether
the Israeli passenger was an intelligence operative or an arms dealer.
Spokesperson of the South
African Revenue Service (SARS), Marika Muller in a statement, said the money
was seized at Lanseria airport, northwest of Johannesburg. The statement said:
“The passengers’ luggage was searched after Customs officials detected
irregularities. The money was detained as it was undisclosed/undeclared and
above the prescribed legal limit. The funds are being held at the central bank
as police investigate”.
Also, South African airport
security spokesman Solomon Makgale confirmed that police investigation was
on-going but declined to give further details. The National Conventional Arms
Control Committee, which has to approve the import and export of any weapons as
well as issue permits for such transactions, was not aware of any applications
in this case. The Nigerian security service is yet to respond to inquiries for
confirmation of the story.
The aircraft according to
investigation used to belong to the American healthcare company Kimberly-Clark.
But company spokesperson Bob Brand said the firm had sold the plane years ago,
and denied that it had anything to do with the incident. According to the US
Federal Aviation Administration aeroplane register, the Challenger, with the
registration number N808HG, was re-registered in the name of Bank of Utah Trustee
last year. The address in the register was given as Salt Lake City, US.
Aviation industry insiders
claim similar “owners” have previously been involved in several controversial
financing transactions for aircraft in Africa. City Press has also established
that the aircraft is used by an entity called Swat Inc in Abuja, but no details
of such a company could be found. Another
plane used by Swat Inc, a Hawker-Siddeley 125, also with an American
registration number (N497AG), landed at Lanseria Airport last month. That plane
and its passengers remained in the country for two days before returning to
Abuja on August 13.
South Africa’s City Press
If the investigation is taken further they will find out there is a politician behind that money
ReplyDeletewith all the poverty in Nigeria one person still want to own an aircraft. Greedy
ReplyDeleteThe foreign passenger and the Nigerians might be aiding n supporting boko haram
ReplyDeletepastor
ReplyDelete