Customs does not stop seizing money from travellers at airports just because it’s the holiday season. On December 26, customs seized over $13,000 from a Ghanian man who failed to report transporting more than $10,000 from the United States at Dulles airport. The link is here. The serves as a reminder that the currency reporting requirements apply to persons transporting money both into or outside of the United States equally.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Washington Dulles International Airport seized $13,585 from a Ghanaian citizen Thursday for violating federal currency reporting regulations.
The man, who was boarding a flight to The Netherlands, was interviewed by CBP officers. During the interview CBP officers explained the currency and monetary instruments reporting requirements and asked him numerous times how much money he was travelling with. He declared verbally and in writing possessing $8,700. A subsequent search produced a total of $13,585. The $13,585 was seized with $185 being returned to him for humanitarian relief.
There is no limit to how much currency travelers can import or export; however federal law requires travelers to report to CBP amounts exceeding $10,000 in U.S. dollars or equivalent foreign currency.
CBP officers advised the traveler how to petition for the return of his seized currency.
“Travelers who refuse to comply with federal currency reporting requirements run the risk of having their currency seized, and may potentially face criminal charges,” said Christopher Hess, CBP port director for the Port of Washington. “The traveler was given the opportunity to truthfully report his currency. The easiest way to hold on to your money is to report it.”
In addition to currency enforcement, CBP routinely conducts inspection operations on arriving and departing international flights and intercepts narcotics, weapons, prohibited agriculture products, and other illicit items.
If you have had cash seized by customs and are contemplating what to do next, please make use of the other information available on this website or call our office at (734) 855-4999 to speak to a customs lawyer, or e-mail us through our contact page. We are able to assist with cash seized by customs around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and many other places, and not just locally in Detroit.
Please read these other articles:
- Seizure of currency and monetary instruments by U.S. Customs
- Seizure for bulk cash smuggling into or out of the U.S.
- Structuring currency imports and exports
- Is it $10,000 per person? Â Under what circumstances is filing a report with Customs for transporting more than $10,000 required?
- Criminal & civil penalties for failing to report monetary instrument transportation
- Is only cash currency subject to seizure by Customs?
- Responding to a Customs currency seizure
- How do I get my seized money back?
- Getting money seized by U.S. Customs back while staying overseas
- How long does it take Customs to decide a petition for a currency/monetary instrument seizure?