Since Jan. 4, Customs and Border Protection has seized $119,178 in unreported money from people who traveled abroad via Washington Dulles International Airport.
Travelers are legally required to report cash amounts greater than $10,000 to the Treasury Department, U.S. customs officials said Wednesday. In each case, customs agents found amounts above $10,000 in the possession of travelers who reported carrying less than that amount.
On Jan. 4, customs agents at Dulles took $62,063 from a naturalized citizen who planned to go to Ghana while claiming to be carrying only $60, while on Jan. 17, agents seized $18,700 from a Bangladeshi arriving from that country.
On Jan. 20, agents took $20,800 from an Uzbekistan national headed to Turkey via Dulles and $17,655 from a Chinese who arrived at Dulles from Sweden, U.S. customs officials said.
Currency seizure is commonplace for customs agents, with an average daily confiscation of $152,418 at America’s borders during fiscal 2024.
“We know that some travelers won’t report all of their currency because the bulk currency may be proceeds of illegal activity, such as financial fraud or money scams that target our society’s most vulnerable, or illicit revenue from criminal enterprises, such as drug, weapons, or human trafficking,” said Area Port of Washington Director Christine Waugh in a statement.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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