Tag: detroit airport cash seizure

A chart showing Detroit Customs seized cash from 540 travelers in 2015

Detroit Customs Seized Cash from 540 Travelers in FY 2015

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on March 3, 2016

Detroit Customs seized cash from 540 travelers in fiscal year 2015 and racked up a second-best-in-the-nation finish for total amount of currency seized of $10,067,095 ($10 million). The full report is here. The

total amount of people passing through the ports of administered by the Detroit field office was 15,813,555.

We don’t have exact statistics handy, but according to a 2013 story it seems the $10 million in cash seized from travelers this year is among the best years for Detroit in terms of cash seizures. The impressive figure means that the Detroit office of U.S. Customs & Border Protection seized more cash from travelers than either of Texas, California, New Mexico and Arizona, even though those states are often in the news for high value currency seizures (often connected with the illegal drug trade).

During fiscal year 2015, the Detroit Field Office which includes the Ambassador Bridge, Detroit Windsor Tunnel, the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron and the International Bridge in Sault. Ste. Marie, processed over 2.3 million commercial trucks, representing 21 percent of all the international truck traffic across land borders into the United States. Canada continues to be the number one trading partner with a total of $101 billion dollars in trade coming through the Detroit Field Office alone.

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On the enforcement front, the Detroit Field Office had the second highest seizures in unreported currency across the nation with over $10 million seized from travelers who refused to properly report the amount of currency they were carrying. There were 961 arrests, 72 firearms seized and 588 narcotics and drug seizures.

Great work, CBP Detroit!

Has Detroit customs seized cash from you?

If Detroit customs seized cash from you, you can learn more about the process from our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Stacks of Counterfeit $100 Bills that was part of the cash seizure at Detroit Metro Airport

$4.65M Counterfeit Cash Seizure At Detroit Metro Airport

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on February 17, 2016

On February 12, there was an unusual cash seizure at Detroit Metro Airport. U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) seized over $4.6 million dollars in “Hell money” — counterfeit currency burned in Asian funeral rituals to impart wealth the deceased in the afterlife — from a couple arriving from Seoul, South Korea.

This is definitely an interesting story. And from the buzz I see on social media, the couple will not face (or at least has not faced) criminal prosecution. The law on use and possession of counterfeit currency is found in 18 USC Title 25, and it appears that the government was not satisfied the couple had intent to use the money (as if it were lawful tender) so as to charge them with a crime.

In fact, I’m not sure this qualifies as a “cash seizure” because the story only says that the Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations “took custody” of it. I’m not sure what that means, if not seizure. But the legal question that I am curious about is, if there is no crime under Title 18 (and assuming no other crimes), what is the basis for seizure?

There must be one, and I’m sure the notice of seizure will be rife with citations if, in fact, this actually is a cash seizure. I don’t have the time to get into that issue now.

In any event, here’s the story of this cash seizure at Detroit metro airport:

DETROIT– U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport announces, today, the seizure of $4,650,000 in Hell money printed to resemble U.S. and Vietnamese currency.

Hell money is printed on joss paper and resembles legal tender bank notes but is not legal tender or recognized currency; instead, Hell money is presented as burnt offerings to the deceased. This custom is often practiced in certain Asian cultures.

“Attempting to import any amount of counterfeit currency, regardless of the intended purpose, can have serious implications for arriving travelers,” said CBP Port Director Devin Chamberlain. “Quality law enforcement work and solid attention to detail resulted in this seizure, and I am proud of the officers involved.”

The seizure occurred Feb. 12 after CBP officers encountered the couple who were arriving from Seoul, Korea. Each person made conflicting statements about the amount of currency they were carrying. CBP officers referred the couple for a baggage examination. A search of their luggage resulted in the discovery of 93 bundles of counterfeit U.S. $100 bills and 32 bundles of counterfeit Vietnamese Dong, the national currency of Vietnam. The couple said the counterfeit currency was to be used as burnt offerings to the deceased.

CBP reminds international travelers that the manufacturing of, or importation of counterfeit Federal Reserve notes could result in federal charges.

Agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Secret Service took custody of the fake currency.

Agents are reminding all travelers that the manufacturing of, and/or importation of counterfeit bank notes could result in federal charges.

Have you had a cash seizure at Detroit Metro airport?

If you’ve had a cash seizure at Detroit Metro airport by CBP you can learn more about the process from our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Detroit CBP seized cash (counterfeit money)

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on December 2, 2013

Any customs lawyer will tell you that it’s better to get caught failing to report real cash getting caught importing counterfeit cash. Detroit CBP seized cash (counterfeit) as a result of the currency reporting requirement. The purpose of the currency reporting requirement is to do exactly this — catch people who are bringing in illegal (in this case counterfeit) money into the United States.

You can educate yourself using our trusted “customs money seizure legal roadmap” as a guide to understanding what to do if Detroit CBP seized cash from you. In the particular case below, the the following news release clearly demonstrates why Detroit CBP does not allow anyone to under-report cash:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport announces the seizure of $32,300 in counterfeit U.S. currency from a Ghanaian citizen.

“This amount of counterfeit cash can inflict serious harm on a local economy.” says Devin Chamberlain, port director. “I am pleased that the officers’ attention to detail

Detroit CBP seized cash (counterfeit) at Detroit Metro Airport (DTW).

resulted in this seizure.”

On Sunday November 17, CBP officers encountered a male citizen of Ghana after he arrived in Detroit on a flight from Amsterdam. Because he did not complete a required customs declaration, CBP form 6059b, he was asked to complete this form while his passport was being checked. The traveler checked “no” that he was carrying more than $10,000 however reported to the officer verbally that he indeed had more than $10,000 and made an error on the form. A secondary search of his luggage resulted in the discovery of $32,300 in U.S. currency that CBP officers suspected, was counterfeit.

Agents from the U.S. Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations were notified and responded. The counterfeit cash and traveler were turned over to Secret Service. The United States Attorney’s Office has accepted the case for Federal prosecution.

Based on these facts, I doubt the man knew that the cash seized by Detroit CBP was counterfeit. Nevertheless, his bumbling answer and the failure to accurately report in the first place in his being arrested and pending criminal charges.

Did Detroit CBP seize cash from you?

If Detroit CBP seized cash from you at Detroit Metro Airport, the Ambassador Bridge, or the Detroit-Windsor-Tunnel, you can learn more from our trusted legal road-map of a customs money seizure and can contact us for a free currency seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.