NIPOST Intercepts N13.65bn Counterfeit Currencies In Nine Months

The Postmaster General
of the Federation, Mallam Ibrahim Baba has said that the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST)  intercepted fake financial instruments worth N13.65bn  in the first nine months  of 2014.
Baba who disclosed this in Abuja recently, while briefing newsmen on activities of NIPOST in a ceremony to mark the 2014 World Post Day also said the organisation handled 24,213, 750 mails in the first quarter of this year.
He said this was as a result of physical inspection of  documents and postal packets being transmitted through NIPOST.
According  to the NIPOST boss, 159 scam letters  containing counterfeit financial instruments  and other prohibited items were intercepted.
According  to sources made available to The Tide an analysis of the counterfeit  financial  instruments intercepted  by NIPOST showed   that 17 mails worth N149,891,400 were  intercepted in January, while 66 worth N8,439,690 in February and 18 worth N159,654,963 in march including 26 worth N118,329,017.36 in may, amongst others.
The NIPOST boss further stated that the destinations of the  counterfeit mails were Britain and the United States.
He revealed that the two  countries have  been extending assistance to postal organisations in the   fight against counterfeit mails.
On volume of mails handled in the first quarter of 2014, he said despite security challenges in the country, there was an  improvement in the number of mails handled from January to June 2014, in contrast to that of 2013.