Millions seized by U.S. officials


Sharon Hill, The Windsor Star | Jun 18, 2013 | Last Updated: Jun 18, 2013 - 7:11 UTC
If you think tens of thousands of dollars in a bra is a lot of money in an alleged smuggling attempt, almost $5.2 million was seized in the last eight to nine months through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Detroit.
And that amount has increased 24 per cent over the previous year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Detroit Station Chief Katherine Reach said Monday.
"It is a lot of money." The $5.199 million seized since Oct. 1, 2012 was within the Detroit field office which includes the Windsor-Detroit crossings, Detroit Metro Airport, Port Huron and Sault Ste. Marie. Reach did not have a breakdown of the amount of money seized at each location.
After $73,000 was seized last week from a Windsor woman and her daughter who allegedly had the bulk of the money hidden in their bras, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations is warning travellers heading to the States to declare money that exceeds $10,000.
There is no limit on the amount of money travellers can have with them while trying to cross the border but under federal U.S. law you must report any currency including cash, U.S. or foreign coins in circulation, travellers' cheques, money orders and investment securities in bearer form that total more than $10,000 US or the equivalent in foreign currency.
If you don't declare it and fill out a form, the money can be seized and you can be arrested. Depending on the Homeland Security investigation you may not be able to get back the money and there is the potential for jail time, Reach said.
The Canada Border Services Agency didn't have statistics on money seizures on the Canadian side of the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit-Windsor tunnel and the Blue Water Bridge on short notice Monday and a CBSA official said it would likely not be as large a number because the U.S. statistics included seizures at the busy Detroit Metro Airport.
To combat money laundering, organized crime and terrorist financing the Canada Border Services Agency also enforces a $10,000 reporting limit whether you are leaving Canada or trying to enter the country. The non-reported money will be forfeited if officials suspect the money is the proceeds of crime or is being used to finance terrorist activity. Otherwise the money is returned after a penalty of up to $5,000 is paid.
On the U.S. side Reach did not know the largest recent seizure of smuggled money or the average amount of undeclared currency seized. Some of money in the undeclared millions seized in the last eight months could have been discovered while border officials searched for illegal drugs or weapons but detailed information on how the undeclared cash is usually discovered is not available.

http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Millions%20seized%20officials/8539934/story.html