The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has intensified probe of a man arrested in possession of 849 debit cards of different banks in the country.
Spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, identified the suspect as Yasir Abdullahi.
He said Abdullahi was arrested at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on Friday while preparing to board an Egypt Air plane heading for Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Uwujaren said the anti-graft agency was looking into how the suspect came by the cards popularly known as Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards in Nigeria.
He said, “The suspect was intercepted after a scan of his luggage by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service revealed the suspicious items.
“The officers then alerted the EFCC’s office in Kano. On arrival, operatives of the commission discovered that he had 490 Guaranty Trust Bank ATM cards, 287 cards of Access Bank, 49 of Eco Bank and 10 of United Bank for Africa (UBA).
“Others are six ATM cards of Stanbic IBTC Bank, four of Zenith Bank, and one each of Sterling Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and First City Monument Bank,“he said.
The EFCC spokesman said another suspected fraudster and Chinese national, Ma Yongbin, alias Suleiman Yunusa, was also arrested at the same airport on Friday.
He said 43-year-old Yongbin was picked up as he tried to board an Egypt Air flight to China.
“He was arrested at the baggage checkpoint where he was found to have in his possession the sum of N305,000 in N5 denomination.
“He was eventually handed over to the commission for further investigation.
“The two suspects have made useful statements. They have also been granted administrative bail while investigations continue,” he added. (NAN)
ARU/JPE/AMY