Over €35,800 discovered in man's hand luggage at MIA

Customs officers discovered the staggering sum in a passenger's hand luggage as he departed for Frankfurt 

Officers seized cash and a €14,000 cheque
Officers seized cash and a €14,000 cheque

Customs Anti-Money Laundering officials carrying out routine checks, together with the Customs Canine Unit at the airport, discovered over €35,800 in the hand luggage of a passenger departing to Frankfurt.

The passenger was asked if he had anything to declare to Customs and replied in the negative, but Customs K9 Charlie, a sniffer dog, was positive that the passenger was carrying a substantial amount of cash. This indication resulted in a physical search of the passenger’s belongings and subsequently, €35,839 were seized from the carry-on luggage including a cheque for more than €12,000. The police took the passenger into custody and is expected to be arraigned in court in the coming days.

Passengers are obliged to declare any amount of cash including cheques and bank drafts which amount to €10,000 or more whether arriving, departing or transiting through Malta. Similar laws apply to most countries around the World.