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| FAKED ATM |
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| FAKED CREDIT CARDS |
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| FAKED DOLLARS |
Emeka
Ibemere
Asides
drugs and currencies, bank documents have become one of the things being
trafficked by some unscrupulous suspected persons in the recent times.
The
act is on the increase just like the illegal trafficking of drugs and
currencies including human trafficking.
There
are speculations that the documents are used for bank frauds by those who
specializes in the advance fee frauds known as (419), abroad. Identity theft
experts are said to be using the documents to defraud bank clients and banks
after gaining access to their identities.
This
however has increased the rate at which the bank vital documents are being
trafficked to other countries.
The
illegal movement of bank documents has facilitated the hacking of ATM security
codes of bank customers who lose their money to bank thieves on daily basis.
The documents trafficked most are Credit Cards, ATM, Cheque books and other
sundry documents.
Last
week, the officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),
intercepted one hundred and seven (107) Citi Bank credit cards.
The
Automated Teller Machine cards were detected inside a luggage during the
outward screening of Turkish Airline passengers to Istanbul, Turkey at the
Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
A
36 year-old man who has a double identity was apprehended in connection with
the illegal possession of the cards.
NDLEA
Airport commander, Mr Hamza Umar said that the suspect had two international
passports bearing his photographs but with different names.
“He
had a Nigerian passport with the name Funsho Oladimeji Babatunde and a Turkish
passport with the name Kosar Kursat both bearing his photographs. The cards
found in his luggage are 68 Citi Interswitch Master Cards and 39 Citi
Interswitch Visa cards,” Hamza stated.
The
suspect, who claimed to have come from Iwo town in Kwara State, also stated
that he lives in Surulere Lagos area of Lagos State. According to NDLEA’s
investigation, the suspect claimed to be a graduate of Kwara Polytechnic and
has an Ordinary National Diploma (OND), certificate holder.
In
his statement, he told investigators that he was taking the cards to a friend
in Turkey.
“My friend in Turkey called me that I should
help in sending the cards to him in Istanbul, Turkey. When I collected the
cards in Lagos, I kept them in my bag but during search, the officer saw the
cards and took me for interrogation. I am an OND graduate at the Kwara
Polytechnic,” he stated.
Chairman/Chief
Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade had directed that the suspect be
transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for further
investigation.
According
to Giade, “preliminary investigation suggests that the suspect had unlawful
possession of 107 credit cards. The financial instruments are believed to be
used for fraudulent purposes since he is not an authorised agent,” Giade
stated.
The
NDLEA boss promised to prevent any act capable of bringing the image of the
country to disrepute.
In
August last year, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested one
Kingsley Mudi over alleged ATM fraud. He was picked up at about 11 pm on August
2, 2013 at Fidelity Bank ATM on Airport Road, Warri, and Delta State following
intelligence report.
At
the point of his arrest, 30 ATM cards of different banks with which he
allegedly withdrew a total sum of five hundred and fifty thousand naira (N550,
000) were found in his possession. Also,
eight signed UBA cheques belonging to sundry persons were also found on him.
Kingsley
Mudi claimed to be a Disc Jockey and an operator of a barbing saloon. On
further investigation, the suspect volunteered useful information on the
crime. He was later charged to court as.
In
January, 2014, NDLEA uncovered a currency trafficking syndicate with the
seizure of two hundred and forty thousand ($240,000) United States dollars
hidden inside dictionaries at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport
(MMIA), Lagos State.
The
39 year-old Congolese claimed to be fashion designer, was later identified as
Mfundu Angela.
She
was arrested for attempting to export the suspected faked dollars to
Congo-Kinshasa through Cargolux airline before she was apprehended by the
anti-narcotic officers on duty at the MMIA.
NDLEA Commander at the MMIA Lagos, Mr. Hamza Umar, said that the seizure
was successful
“The suspect who hails from the Democratic
Republic of Congo brought a sewing machine and a bag containing clothes and
five dictionaries for export to Congo”, Umar added.
“There
was high suspicion on the consignment and in the process of search, the
dictionaries were found to contain twenty-four (24) envelopes containing ten
thousand dollars ($10,000) each”.
Investigations
revealed that the suspect was a divorcee and a mother of two. She disclosed
that the dollars were given to her by her boyfriend.
“I am a fashion designer from DR Congo. I have
two children but my husband and I have been separated. I came to Nigeria in
search of greener pastures in 2006. It was my boyfriend that gave me the
dictionaries to send to Congo”.
NDLEA
boss, Ahmadu Giade described the discovery as a big boost for airport and
border securities in the country.
“This
remarkable seizure is a big boost for our airport and border security. It is an
indication that criminal groups are fast becoming inept based on our superior
search operations,” Giade stated.
At
the end of preliminary investigation, the suspect is expected to be transferred
to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further
investigation and legal action.
Security
agents say currency traffickers’ love for ferrying faked and original dollars
through the airports was because of the tight security on the banks’
transactions by the monitoring agencies beaming their searchlights on banks.
Experts
say trafficking on bank documents are part of money laundering.
From
2012 January to 2014 January, over $800million was reported to have been
intercepted by the various security agencies in the country with EFCC and NDLEA
making much interceptions while bank documents are estimated to be 2000
documents.
Financial
experts and stakeholders said money laundering is a serious crime because of
counter-narcotic and terrorism financing.
To
combat terrorism and drug trafficking in Nigeria, the United States Government
assured Nigeria of support in counter-narcotics, anti-money laundering,
anti-terrorism and other transnational organised crime control.
Ambassador
James Entwistle made the promise during his first working visit to the national
headquarters of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ikoyi Lagos.
Ambassador
James Entwistle who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Pamela Entwistle, the US
Consul General, Jeffery Hawkins and other officials of the embassy were
received by the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade.
The
US envoy said that he embarked on this first official visit because crime
control is a top priority consideration in the protection of lives and
property.
“This
is my first official visit in Nigeria after presenting my letter of credence to
President Goodluck Jonathan. I am delighted to be here because of the
increasing need for partnership against transnational organised crimes like
drug trafficking, money laundering and terrorism. Our attitude is to share
experience and provide military assistance through training programmes on drug
control and counter terrorism,” the Ambassador stated.
Ahmadu
Giade in his response thanked Ambassador Entwistle for the visit and the
support of America to Nigeria’s fight against narcotics and terrorism.
“Our
partnership with the United States government has broadened our frontiers of
drug control. The impressive operational results recorded from training
programmes sponsored by your government as well as donation of drug detection equipment
has made our entry and exit points more impregnable to drug trafficking
cartels,” Giade stated.
The
NDLEA boss promised to sustain and deepen the working relationship with the
United States government. Bank fraud is the use of potentially illegal means to
obtain money, assets, or other property owned or held by a financial
institution or to obtain money from
Those who trafficked on the financial
instruments use such documents to seek access to facilities such as post
offices, offices of a tax authority, a corporate payroll or social or
humanitarian organizations which process cheques in large numbers. The
fraudsters then may open bank accounts under assumed names and deposit the
cheques, which they may first alter in order to appear legitimate, so that they
can subsequently withdraw unauthorised funds.
Also
when forgers gain unauthorised access to blank chequebooks, belonging to
others, they forge seemingly legitimate signatures on the cheques in order to
illegally gain access to unauthorized funds.
Cheque
kiting exploits is another system in which, when a cheque is deposited to a
bank account, the money is made available immediately even though it is not
removed from the account on which the cheque is drawn until the cheque actually
clears.
It
would be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned a
Jalingo, Taraba State-based businessman, Yusuf Isa Ahmed before Justice Filibus
B. Andetur of the Taraba State High Court sitting in Jalingo on a 3 - count
charge that borders on issuance of dud cheques contrary to Section 1(1) (a) (i)
of Dishonoured Cheque (Offences) CAP D11 (Laws of the Federation) Act 2007.
The
accused was arrested following a petition by Osychris Industries Nigeria
Limited alleging that Ahmed who is the sole proprietor of Yuij Consult in
Jalingo failed to fulfil his obligations in a contract to sell 230 units of
Frajend motorcycles valued at N27million (twenty seven million naira)
According to the petitioner, Yusuf was
entrusted with 230 units of Frajend motorcycles worth N27, 000,000 (Twenty
seven million naira) to sell and remit the proceeds to Osychris Nigeria Limited
on a monthly basis over a 17 months period.
Yusuf
allegedly remitted only N10, 357,000 (ten million three hundred and fifty-seven
thousand naira only). Thereafter, he issued several cheques which were
dishonoured by the bank for lack of sufficient fund in the account.
The
accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of
N1.5m. His surety is also to show evidence of ownership of a landed property
within the jurisdiction.
The
case was adjourned till February 20, 2014 for commencement of trial.
Also,
Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High Court Kano, convicted and sentenced one
Abdulkadir Mohammed to nine years imprisonment with an option of N1, 200,000
(One Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) fine for offences bordering on
conspiracy and forgery.
The
convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on
a 3-count charge for attempting to defraud a retired army General, Garba Ali of
N14, 000, 000 (Fourteen million Naira in a land deal.
The
accused pleaded guilty to all the three counts and was immediately convicted by
Justice Riman.
On
counts one and three, Abdulkadir is to serve two years imprisonment each but
with an option of N350,000 (Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only) fine
while he is to serve five years imprisonment with an option of N500,000 (Five
Hundred Thousand Naira) fine on count two. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Abdulkadir,
a 40 year old resident of Kano is alleged to have deceived one Major General
Garba Ali (Retd) under false pretence to deliver the title documents of his
property to him by issuing two Fidelity Bank cheques in the sum of N14, 000,
000 (Fourteen Million Naira Only) to the General which on presentation to the
bank were dishonoured as they were discovered to be forged.
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