EMIRATE: EFCC investigates man with 2,886 ATM cards, 4 SIMs

By Bartholomew Madukwe

Lagos zonal head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, AbdulRasheed Bawa, has assured that a thorough investigation will be carried out by the commission, on a Dubai-bound passenger, Ishaq Abubakar Abubakar, found in possession of 2,886 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and four Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards.

He said: "We have taken over Ishaq and I can assure you that we are going to investigate the matter thoroughly and unveil everybody involved in the syndicate.

“There are a number of possibilities. There is an element of conspiracy, foreign exchange (FOREX) malpractices and money laundering."

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Thursday, Officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) intercepted Abubakar with the 2,886 ATM cards and four SIM cards carefully concealed in packs of Noodles, while attempting to board an Emirates Evacuation flight to Dubai.

According to the Customs Deputy Comptroller, Enforcement, Abudulmumuni Bako, who represented the Customs Area Comptroller, A. Ma’aji, said that the suspect, who claimed to have come from Kano to travel to Dubai aboard the Emirate Evacuation flight, was seen with someone who was assigned to facilitate his movement through the airport checks.

“This raised the suspicion of the officers who insisted he should be physically and thoroughly checked after the scan machine had revealed he was carrying packs of noodles,” Bako stated.