Tag: ghana

CBP Dulles Seizes Cash Bound for Ghana and Turkey

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on April 4, 2018

Dulles CBP conducted more currency seizure operations on people entering and leaving the country for not report carrying more than $10,000 cash. The law requires that transporting more than $10,000 in cash into or out of the United States be reported to a Customs officer at the port of entry or departure, typically on FinCen Form 105. In this particular summary of enforcement activity, CBP seized a total of about $56,000 from a three different sets of travelers, as follows:

Three more travelers failed to truthfully report all their currency to a CBP officers and saw their currency seized.Consequences for violating U.S. currency laws are severe: from loss of all unreported currency to potential criminal charges, as illustrated by the following three cases:

CBP officers seized $18,565 from a passenger boarding a flight to Istanbul, Turkey Sunday. Officers discovered the unreported currency in the travelers checked baggage, carry-on bag and cellular phone case.

CBP officers seized $20,710 from a family boarding a flight to Ankara, Turkey Sunday. Officers discovered the unreported currency in the family’s baggage.

CBP officers seized $17,210 from a couple boarding a flight to Accra, Ghana Sunday. Officers discovered the unreported currency in four envelopes inside their baggage.

Travelers in all three cases were U.S. citizens. None was arrested.

Travelers may carry as much currency as they wish into and out of the United States. None of the currency is taxed. Federal law requires that travelers who possess $10,000 or more in currency or monetary instruments must report it to a CBP officer and complete a U.S. Treasury Department financial form.

“Customs and Border Protection urges travelers to be completely honest during CBP inspections, including by truthfully report all of their currency,” said Daniel Mattina, CBP Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington Dulles. “The best way for travelers to hold onto their currency is to fully comply with our nation’s currency reporting laws.”

In each case, CBP officers afforded the travelers multiple opportunities to truthfully report all currency.

Did you fail to report more than $10,000 in cash to CBP?

If you fail to report more than $10,000 in cash to CBP, your money could be seized. If your money has been seized for a failure to report, you should contact our customs lawyer for a free cash seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

A stacked pile of cash seized by Customs at Dulles airport

Customs at Dulles Seized $124k Cash in 3 Incidents

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on February 15, 2018

Dulles continues to lead the nation in news releases about money seized by Customs officers at their airport for violations of the cash reporting requirement, structuring laws, or bulk cash smuggling laws. In this story, CBP seized nearly $125,000 from three different groups of travelers. The majority of the money — $83,093 — was seized from a man heading to Ghana.

A backup full of $100 bills seized by Customs officers for failing to report cash at Dulles airport. — CBP officers seized $124,694 during three currency reporting violations at Washington Dulles International Airport March 7-8, 2018.

The remaining two seizures were from a couple arriving from Columbia, and a man heading to Pakistan, both of which were approximately $20,000. Here is the story from CBP:

STERLING, Va., — U.S. federal law is clear in regards to international travelers reporting to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers all currency and other monetary instruments they possess during a CBP arrival or departure inspection.

Travelers may carry as much currency as they wish into and out of the United States. None of the currency or monetary instruments is taxed. For travelers who possess $10,000 or more in currency or monetary instruments, they just take a few minutes to complete a U.S. Treasury Department financial form and continue on their journey.

Yet, travelers continue to violate this federal reporting requirement, include three groups of travelers who recently ceded a combined $124,694 in unreported currency to CBP officers at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Consequences for violating U.S. currency laws are severe: from loss of all unreported currency to potential criminal charges, as illustrated by the following three cases:

CBP officers seized $83,093 from a Ghanaian man destined to Ghana February 8;

CBP officers seized $23,082 from a Brazilian couple who arrived from Colombia February 8; and

CBP officers seized $18,519 from a U.S. citizen of Pakistan birth destined to Pakistan February 7.

Travelers escaped criminal charges in all three cases.

“Customs and Border Protection urges travelers to be completely honest during CBP inspections, and in particular, comply with a federal currency reporting regulation that is quite clear and simple,” said Daniel Mattina, CBP Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington Dulles. “The best way for travelers to hold onto their currency is to fully comply with our nation’s currency reporting laws.”

In each case, CBP officers afforded the travelers multiple opportunities to truthfully report all currency, and discovered additional currency during baggage examinations.

CBP officers returned currency in the amount of $93, $234 and $519, respectively, to the travelers for humanitarian purposes, and released the travelers.

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 contact our customs lawyer for a free cash seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.

Over $140,000 in cash stacked in piles on a table after seizure by CBP at Dulles airport

3 Airport Cash Seizures at Dulles Result in $140,000 Seized

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on February 5, 2018

Customs officers in Dulles continue their high-profile cash seizures, by seizing more than nearly $150,000 in three separate seizure incidents from travelers heading to Ghana.

In this story, CBP reports that in the first seizure CBP seized cash valued at more than $100,000 from a man who leaving the United States destined for Accra, Ghana, who only claimed he was traveling with $2,000.

In the second cash seizure incident at Dulles, a man was arriving from Ghana who was carrying $20,000.

In the third incident, a man leaving for Ghana reported only transporting $5,000, but in reality had more than $23,000.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than $143,968 in unreported currency from two men who departed for Ghana and one who arrived from Ghana in three separate incidents during the weekend at Washington Dulles International Airport.

CBP is not releasing the travelers’ names because none was criminally charged.

During outbound inspection operations Sunday, CBP officers seized $100,111 from a man destined to Accra, Ghana who initially claimed that he possessed $2,000. CBP officers discovered $10,000 in each of 10 bank envelopes in the man’s backpack.

Earlier Sunday, CBP officers seized $20,031 from a man who arrived from Ghana who initially reported that he possessed $10,000. During an inspection, CBP officers discovered an additional $10,000 wrapped in a t-shirt in the man’s carry-on bag, plus another $31 in loose pocket currency.

On Saturday, CBP officers seized $23,826 from a man bound for Ghana after a currency detector dog alerted to his carry-on bag. The man initially reported that he possessed $5,000. A baggage exam revealed $23,826 in a suit jacket and camera bag.

All three seizures seem to fairly involve bulk cash smuggling, which means that I expect Dulles to try to keep around 50% of the seized cash as a penalty.

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.

An image of cash seized by Customs at Dulles airport while traveling to Ghana

Dulles CBP Seizes $40k Cash Unreported

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on December 5, 2017

Dulles continues to be the leading source for news-releases pertaining to cash seizures for more than $10,000 for failure to report to Customs, or bulk cash smuggling, and the related offenses under Title 31 of the United States Code. In this particular story (original here), Customs seized $40,000 from a man who reported traveling with $25,000.

Upon making that report he completed a FinCEN 105 form (probably under some duress) for that same amount. At this point (as they always do), CBP conducted a complete search of his person and baggage to determine if he was telling the truth. As is frequently the case, he was not. In fact, they discovered another $10,000 in a white envelope and another $5,400 in some other places. Here is the full story:

STERLING, Va., — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized $40,900 from a man boarding a flight to Ghana last Thursday at Washington Dulles International Airport.

The man, who CBP has not named because he was not criminally charged, initially reported to officers that he possessed $500. After officers advised the man of U.S. currency reporting regulations, the man presented three white envelopes that contained $25,000, and reported that much on a financial reporting form.

CBP officers then discovered a manila envelope with $10,000, an additional white envelope in the man’s backpack that contained $5,000, and $400 more in his wallet. The combined currency equaled $40,900.

Travelers may carry as much currency as they wish into and out of the United States. Federal law requires that travelers must report all U.S. and foreign monetary instruments totaling $10,000 or greater on a U.S. Treasury Department financial form. None of the currency is taxed.

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?

Dulles Does it Again: CBP Seizes $42k in Cash to Ghana

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on November 15, 2017

Dulles CBP seized $42,000 in cash from a man going to Ghana. As the story (original here) below explains, the man only reported $8,000 verbally; then he wrote down $15,000 on his FinCEN 105 form; then, they brought the dogs out. When the dogs were done, they found a total of $42,606 and €240.

Although bulk cash smuggling and failing to report currency are both crimes, not everyone is criminally charged. A person still faces civil forfeiture of the cash involved in the violation, even if not criminally charged. In this case, it was a catch and release; they caught him, seized the money, and released him to continue on his trip. He will be able to get at least some of the money back if he can show it came from a legitimate source and had a legitimate intended use. Here’s the story, with pictures:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than $42,000 from a man boarding a flight to Ghana Tuesday at Washington Dulles International Airport.

CBP officers seized $42k from Ghana-bound man
November 7, 2017 at Washington Dulles
International Airport

The man, who CBP has not named because he was not criminally charged, initially reported to officers that he possessed $8,000. After officers advised the man of U.S. currency reporting regulations, the man wrote that he possessed $15,000 and he completed a financial reporting form.

A CBP currency detector dog then alerted to bulk currency in the man’s carry-on baggage. The man then produced $2,480 in U.S. currency and 240 Euros from his jacket, $10,216 from his backpack, and $710 from his front pants pocket.

CBP officers then discovered a package that contained $8,000, an envelope that contained $8,000, and an additional $13,200 inside a pouch, all concealed inside his backpack. The total amount of currency the man possessed equaled $42,606 in U.S. dollars and 240 Euros.

Following the currency seizure, CBP officers returned $406 in U.S. currency and 240 Euros to the man and released him to continue his journey.

This is the second significant currency seizure from a Ghana-bound traveler in two months. On September 23, CBP officers seized $150,228 in unreported currency at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?

$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 October 9, 2017

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:

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?

Stacks of Cash at Dulles Airport Seized by Customs for Violating the Currency Reporting Requirements

Customs at Dulles Seizes $29k Hidden in Pants

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on August 23, 2017

U.S. Customs is reporting on more cash seizures by its officers at Dulles Airport in Sterling, Virginia. Just last week, I commented on a story where CBP seized cash from 3 groups of people, all coming from or going to Africa. In this story below, two Ghanaian men had $29,019 seized by Customs agents for violating the currency reporting regulations requiring a report for in-bound and out-bound cash transportation of more than $10,000.

In the last story, I warned Dulles strictly enforces a penalty of 50% of the seized cash for anyone involved in a structuring or bulk cash smuggling offense, even if it’s a first offense. In this case, I’ve got a good idea who is about to lose a serious amount of cash, because CBP “discovered $8,504 inside a pair of shorts [one of the men] wore under his pants.” So….

BULK CASH SMUGGLING ALERT

Here’s the CBP narrator telling the story (full story here):

STERLING, Va., — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than $29,000 from cousins traveling to Ghana Monday at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Since July 1, CBP officers at Dulles have recorded seven unreported currency seizures that totaled $180,819.

In the latest incident, CBP officers seized $29,019 from two cousins who initially reported they possessed $9,115. During an examination, CBP officers discovered $615 in one man’s wallet and an additional $18,900 in his carry-on bag. Officers then discovered $8,504 inside a pair of shorts the other man wore under his pants, and $1,000 in a checked bag.

CBP officers permitted the two Ghanaians numerous opportunities to truthfully report, both verbally and in writing, their total currency, before officers discovered the unreported currency.

Travelers may carry as much currency as they wish into and out of the United States. Federal law requires that travelers must report all U.S. and foreign monetary instruments totaling $10,000 or greater on a U.S. Treasury Department financial form. None of the currency is taxed.

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?

Stacks of cash and a pile of envelopes seized by U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Dulles Airport CBP seizes over $77k in cash

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on August 18, 2017

CBP at Dulles Airport in Virginia is taking more and more cash from travelers, and is spreading the news far and wide in news releases such as the one that follows. In this particular story, there is a story of SIX currency seizures in July that resulted in a seizure of cash of more than $150,000, all for a failure to file the currency report for more transporting more than $10,000.

As such, these CBP airport cash seizures were totally avoidable. It is legal to transport more than $10,000 in cash, but it’s illegal not to report the transportation of that cash. The airport cash report is required when leaving the country, and when arriving. It’s pretty simple, but you can read about it. Here’s the story as narrated by some fine CBP employee with knowledge of the facts:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized $77,586 combined in three seizures of travelers flying international through Washington Dulles International Airport recently for violating federal currency reporting regulations.

CBP officers seized:

$20,211 from an Ethiopia-bound couple on Saturday. The couple reported $8,000 and then $11,600; however, a CBP currency canine alerted and CBP officers discovered additional currency in envelopes in a carry-on bag and purse, and in wallets each possessed.

$33,796 from a Burundi woman who arrived on a flight from Ghana on July 27. The woman reported $9,000. CBP officers discovered $32,765, 483 Ghanaian Cedi and 50 UAE Dirhams for a total U.S. dollar equivalent of $33,796.

$23,579 from a mother and son bound for Sudan on July 24. They verbally reported “less than $10,000,” and then wrote down $9,800. CBP officers discovered an additional $4,000 in a laptop case and multiple envelopes in a purse that contained a combined $10,579 for a total count of $23,579.

During each seizure, CBP officers permitted the travelers numerous opportunities to truthfully report their total currency, including having the travelers read and sign the currency reporting requirements, and make verbal and written declarations before officers conducted inspections.

Any airport cash seizure by CBP at Dulles airport brings with it great risk. To my knowledge, Dulles airport strictly enforces a penalty of 50% for anyone involved in a structuring or bulk cash smuggling offense; and they broadly interpret the laws of structuring and bulk cash smuggling.

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?

If Dulles CBP seized your cash, 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.

CBP at Dulles Airport seizes $50k Cash Leaving Country

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on July 18, 2017

Dulles CBP has made a few notable seizures recently. Dulles cash seizures always seem to hit the CBP news release cycle, and last week was no exception. CBP reported on the seizure of almost fifty-grand in cash from travelers leaving the United States, so here is the story:

CBP officers seized $29,698 from a Qatar-bound family Saturday. Officers explained the currency reporting regulations to the family and the father reported verbally and in writing that they possessed $14,000. The man presented an envelope that contained $10,000 and $4,000 in pocket cash. CBP officers then asked if he possessed additional currency, to which the man presented an additional $5,698. An examination of the wife’s purse resulted in the discovery of an additional $10,000. CBP officers returned $698 to the family and released them to continue their journey.

CBP officers seized $18,900 from a Ghana-bound man Tuesday. The traveler reported verbally and in writing that he possessed $12,000. During an examination, CBP officers discovered the additional cash. Officers returned $500 to the traveler for humanitarian purposes and released him to continue his journey.

The original story says that everyone was a U.S. citizen, and non were criminally charged. In my experience, Dulles will likely say that both of these cases involved bulk cash smuggling, and therefore, they are able to keep at least 50% of the money that was seized according to CBP’s mitigation guidelines.

This Dulles cash seizure should also serve as a reminder to everyone that a report is required even when LEAVING the country, not just upon arrival. If you look closely, you’ll probably see signs in the airport containing notices about the reporting requirement.

Dulles CBP Seizes $52K headed for Ghana

Posted by Jason P. Wapiennik on November 18, 2016

It is now my opinion that Dulles CBP is vying to be first in currency seizures in the nation. That is a distinction held by Detroit CBP in the 2015 fiscal year. That year, the seized cash from over 500 people.

My opinion about Dulles is based on the most recent of many stories about Dulles CBP seizing cash from unwitting (and sometimes witting..) travelers at Dulles airport in Sterling, Virginia, since only September.

This story, like those, involves a failure to report cash to Customs; in this case, though, the person involved reported $40,000 – way more than than the $10,000 – and he actually possessed slightly more than $52,000. Now, it’s still illegal to underreport cash even when you do report more than $10,000. In other words, no matter how much you carry and how much you report, the report of cash to Customs still has to be ACCURATE. Being off by $12,000 is not accuracy.

But, the story is unique in that many people will report to Customs that they are carrying $9,990, or $9,800, or $9,700, when they are really carrying more than $10,000. They think that as long as they report some number less than $10,000, they will not be scrutinized. They’re wrong.

This man, however, reported $40,000. That seems like good faith to me, and my guess is he probably did not know exactly how much he had with him (yes, it happens), and he gave it his best guess, never expecting to be held to such a strict account by U.S. Customs & Border Protection.

STERLING, Va. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO), at Washington Dulles International Airport seized over $52,000 from a Ghana-bound U.S. citizen on Thursday for violating federal currency reporting regulations.

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.

During an outbound inspection, the man declared, both verbally and in writing, to CBP officers that he possessed $40,000; however, CBP officers discovered a total of $52,156 on his person and in his luggage. The officers seized the $52,156 and advised him how to petition for the return of the currency. The traveler was then released to continue his journey.

Has Dulles CBP seized your cash?

If Dulles CBP seized your cash you need a lawyer. That’s what we do. Read our trusted customs money seizure legal guide and can contact our customs lawyer for a free cash seizure consultation by clicking the contact buttons on this page.