By Yakubu LAAH InvestAdvocate

Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Monday said it has seized $9.3 million in cash intended for the purchase of weapons and helicopters to be used in Nigeria, a Bloomberg report quoted Nathi Mncube, NPA spokesman.

“The cash consisted of 90 blocks of $100,000 each and was found in two black plastic suitcases,” Mncube said today in an e-mailed statement. “Each suitcase had a combination lock to which only one Eyal Mesika, an Israeli citizen, had the combination,” the report said.

According to the NPA spokesman, the cash was illegally brought into the country on a September 05 flight from Nigeria to Lanseria Airport, north of Johannesburg, and was initially confiscated by the South African Revenue Service due to customs violations.

The report quoted a South African Press Authority as saying that two (2) passengers from Nigeria accompanied Mesika, the Israeli citizen.

The NPA said an investigation subsequently linked the cash to an invoice for various armaments and helicopters.

“The goods were intended to be used in Nigeria and the money is currently in the custody of the South African Reserve Bank,” Mncube said.