The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, on Friday, arraigned an Austrian national, Kavlak Onal, before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, over his alleged failure to declare large sums of foreign currency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Onal was brought before Justice Yelim Bogoro on a two-count charge bordering on money laundering, following his arrest by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
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According to the EFCC, the defendant was intercepted on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, while undergoing routine checks at the AML/CFT Currency Declaration Desk at the airport.
He was scheduled to travel to Dubai aboard an Emirates Airline flight when Customs officials allegedly discovered $800,575 and €651,505 in his possession, which he reportedly failed to declare as required by law.
He was subsequently handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.
One of the charges read in court stated:
“That you, Mr. Kavlak Onal, on December 13, 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $800,575 (Eight Hundred Thousand, Five Hundred and Seventy-Five United States Dollars) to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.”
The second count alleged that he failed to declare €651,505 (Six Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand, Five Hundred and Five Euros), an offence also said to be contrary to the same provision of the law.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
Following his plea, the prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala Buhari, urged the court to fix a trial date and 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 told the court that she was served with the bail application at 9:07 a.m. on Friday and requested time to study and respond to it.
Justice Bogoro subsequently adjourned the matter to January 16, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.
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