Customs agents seize $72G in cash from Orlando airport traveler
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Now that's a pretty penny.
Authorities seized over $72,000 in cash earlier this week at Orlando International Airport, discovered in a traveler’s backpack.
On Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) revealed that they had found the undeclared currency at the Florida air hub.
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The CBP stressed that people are required to report currency amounts of $10,000 or more to the federal agency when traveling in or out of the U.S., a news release explained.
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Now that's a pretty penny. Authorities seized over $72,000 in undeclared currency earlier this week at Orlando International Airport, discovered in a traveler’s backpack. (iStock)
According to the statement, the unnamed individual first told CBP officers that they were traveling with $15,000, then misstated the sum as $51,000 in writing. Upon investigation, officials found the five-figure sum, bundled in cash, in the person’s backpack.
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“Travelers are given multiple opportunities to make a truthful declaration and must comply with currency reporting regulations and all U.S. laws,” Gaetano Cordone, CBP Orlando Area Port Director, said of the news. “CBP officers are steadfastly committed to enforcing federal currency reporting laws and over 400 laws on behalf of over 40 other U.S. Government agencies.”
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“Travelers are given multiple opportunities to make a truthful declaration and must comply with currency reporting regulations and all U.S. laws,” Gaetano Cordone, CBP Orlando Area Port Director, said of the news. (iStock)
The violation of American currency reporting laws can result in seizure of the funds as well as arrest.
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More broadly, the CBP seizes about $290,000 in illicit or unreported currency across the country each day, the release detailed.
A spokesperson for Orlando airport was not immediately available to offer further comment.