Failure to declare cash proves costly

The courts have seized over €10,600 from a man who failed to declare that he was carrying cash in excess of the legal maximum for undeclared cash

Enzo Giovanni Romano, an Italian-American was fined €4,175 and had €6,585 confiscated
Enzo Giovanni Romano, an Italian-American was fined €4,175 and had €6,585 confiscated

The courts have seized over €10,600 from a man who failed to declare he was carrying funds in excess of the legal maximum for undeclared cash.

Enzo Giovanni Romano, an Italian-American, was fined €4,175 and had €6,585 confiscated after he failed to inform the Comptroller of Customs that he was bringing into Malta an amount of over €10,000 in cash.

Romano was stopped upon his arrival at the airport on 31 December when customs officials discovered the money. He was charged with breaching the Cash Controls Regulations of the External Transactions Act. Romano pleaded guilty to the charge.

In her considerations on punishment, magistrate Charmaine Galea took into consideration the fact that the penalty for the offence in question was established at law as being a fine equivalent to 25% of the value of the cash carried by the offender and the confiscation of the amount in excess of the threshold.

Inspector Lianne Bonello prosecuted.