Officials said the cash was discovered over two days in late May.
DULLES, Va. — Thanks to the help of an alert 2-year-old German Shepherd, customs officials seized nearly $100,000 in unreported currency at Dulles International Airport last month.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say the first incident happened on May 23 when currency detector dog Vito honed in on an American man and his family as they were on their way to Brussels. When questioned by agents, the man allegedly claimed he and his wife each had $7,000 on themselves.
After being told about the laws around reporting currency when travelling internationally, the man affirmed in writing that they actually had closer to $20,000. During a subsequent search, officers found even more money in the woman’s purse and in pants the man was wearing underneath his clothes. The amount actually totaled over $46,000.
The next day, an American woman and her mother were also travelling to Brussels when stopped by customs officers. The woman allegedly said she and her mother were carrying a total of $15,000, but when completing her reporting form, the amount doubled.
When officials conducted their search, even more money was reportedly found stitched inside the woman’s clothes. The total amount ended up being nearly $53,000.
The agency says the cash was seized and the parties were allowed to continue on their trips.
CBP DC Area Port Director Christine Waugh says, “Currency reporting laws don’t restrict how much currency people can take overseas […] the law is focused on identifying bulk currency smuggling attempts that may be associated with illegal activity.
“We just ask that travelers truthfully comply with our nation’s laws and then be on their way to vacation or to visit family.”
