Tag: concealed

Seized cash in sealed shirt bags

CBP Chicago Seizes $107k Cash

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

Finally, a customs cash seizure in Chicago has made the news! This story involved over $100,000 being taken out of the country and into Jordan. The story states that at least part of the $107,360 was concealed in “several sealed shirt bags” which then prompted the individual to declare $107,000. Our Chicago office sees a few cash seizure cases each year.

Interestingly, the story states that it was seized because the passenger “failed to properly report” the cash — but they do not state that it was seized for bulk cash smuggling. Based on the explanation in the story, I would expect it to also be seized for bulk cash smuggling violations — which could mean a loss of 50% of the money by the individual even if they can prove it came from a legitimate source and had a legitimate intended use.

CHICAGO—On April 11, 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers assigned to O’Hare International Airport intercepted one male subject concealing $107,360 during an Outbound Enforcement Operation.The passenger was traveling alone on his way to Jordan. When asked, the passenger gave a currency declaration for monetary instruments in the amount of $20,000. However, during inspection of the subject’s carryon baggage, several sealed shirt bags were found and inspected revealing numerous bundles of $100 bills. When CBP Officers found the concealed currency, the subject stated he actually had $107,000.

CBP seized the money because the passenger failed to properly report he was traveling outside of the United States with more than $10,000 as required by 31 USC § 5316.

Has CBP Chicago Seized Your Cash?

If CBP Chicago seized your cash at Chicago O’Hare Airport or Midway airport, you should give us a call for a free currency seizure consultation and make use of our free customs cash seizure legal guide.

$150,000 laid out on a table at Dulles airport after the cash was seized by Customs

3rd Largest Dulles Customs Cash Seizure of $150,000

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on

CBP in Dulles recently made a very large cash seizure from an airline passenger headed to Ghana. It is CBP at Dulles Airport’s third largest seizure since 2003.

Here is the story, without comment, as shared by CBP:

While conducting an outbound enforcement operation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than $150,000 in unreported currency from a Ghanaian man on Saturday at Washington Dulles International Airport.

The man, who CBP has not named because he was not criminally charged at this time, reported to officers that he possessed $10,000.  The man reported that currency on a financial disclosure form and presented $10,000 in a zippered bag along with $200 and 100 Ghana cedis in his wallet.  During a baggage examination, CBP officers discovered $40,000 concealed inside a pair of pants, and another $100,000 concealed inside a pair of sweatpants.

The total currency the Ghanaian man possessed equaled $150,228.  CBP officers returned $2,228 to him as a humanitarian release so that he may continue his travel.

This is CBP’s sixth largest currency seizure at Dulles since CBP’s inception in March 2003, and the second largest currency seizure in the past 13 years.  The top two currency seizures, of $318,519 and $303,031, occurred in 2003, and more recently, a $156,023 currency seizure in 2014 tops this seizure.

And for the pictures:

$10,000 cash in a zippered bag/purse seized by Customs

 

$150,000 laid out on a table at Dulles airport after the cash was seized by Customs

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?

If Dulles CBP seized your cash, beware that you stand to lose a lot of it because of their aggressive penalization of bulk cash smuggling and structuring offenses. You should read our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and contact our customs lawyer for a free cash seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.