Austrian faces charges over undeclared $1.45m cash
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, on Friday, January 9, 2026, arraigned Austrian national Kavlak Onal before Justice Yelim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, for allegedly failing to declare large sums of foreign currency.
Onal was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) while preparing to travel on an Emirates Airline to Dubai.
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Austrian faces charges over undeclared $1.45m cash
Etim Ekpimah
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, on Friday, January 9, 2026, arraigned Austrian national Kavlak Onal before Justice Yelim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, for allegedly failing to declare large sums of foreign currency.
Onal was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) while preparing to travel on an Emirates Airline to Dubai.
He was intercepted during a routine check at the Anti–Money Laundering/Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Currency Declaration Desk at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
He was subsequently handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution
Following the conclusion of investigations, the defendant was arraigned on two counts bordering on money laundering.
According to the charges, Onal allegedly failed to declare the sum of $800,575 to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.
In the second count, he was accused of failing to declare €651,505 to the Nigeria Customs Service at the same airport, an offence also punishable under the same provision of the Act.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala Buhari, requested a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant at a Correctional Centre pending trial.
However, defence counsel, Stanley Imhanruor, informed the court that he had filed a bail application on behalf of his client.
Responding, the prosecution counsel said she was served with the bail application at 9:07 a.m. on Friday and would require time to study and respond to it.
Justice Bogoro subsequently adjourned the matter until January 16, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.
