A tripartite collaboration between Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Postal Service (Nipost) and Serious Organized Crime Agency (Soca), a London -based group, specifically established to tackle all sorts of crimes against U.K’s interest has led to the interception of currencies worth N55 billion all from Nigeria.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that between the months of July and August this year, the post through the conventional mails was able to intercept $15.7 million, 530,940 Pounds, 5.7 million euro, 2,684 blank cheques, 201 resident permits and 14 international passports.
The group also said that they intercepted fake physical cash in euros to the tune of E 4,500, $19,300 as well as one insurance card and Ireland identification card.
For the month of September, the group said that $560,050, 807,030 Pound Sterling, 8, 400 euros, one ATM card and two international passports were intercepted from EMS operations.
Soca said it saw the need to come to Nipost’s aid by donating a customized mail scanner for the purposes of effective check of scam mails (with fake contents of financial instruments) emanating from Nigeria to other parts of the world.
The scanner, worth millions of naira according to Soca is a state of the art security solution deviced to detect fake financial documents routed through the post for the purpose of transmission abroad.
Key officials of the London -based group Soca, a not for profit organization including its Colin Woodcock, senior manager , visited Ibrahim Mori Baba, the postmaster general in his office last week to reassessed strategies put in place for the crusade against postal crimes. Soca said that it also carrying the crusade to other African countries..
Fraudsters in recent times have seen the posts and courier companies as safe means of perpetrating their nefarious activities.
It will be in March this year, recalled that Nipost had earlier this year intercepted over 100 forged certificates and fake currencies in different foreign denominations.
Fake currencies amounted to N28.8 billion while 7,831 scam letters meant to defraud international businessmen and investors were also intercepted.
Baba said: "It takes well trained security operatives to suspect that a pair of shoes or slippers could contain currencies shipped into the country for dubious reasons."