Government agents arrested a passenger at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Wednesday after he was caught carrying undeclared cash amounting to P1.2 million and US $580,000.
The male passenger was about to board a flight to Hong Kong when personnel from the Office for Transportation Security noticed something unusual in his bag during routine security screening.
During a manual baggage inspection, members of the Police Aviation Security Group (Avsegroup) discovered bundles of US dollar bills and Philippine pesos. They subsequently coordinated with the Bureau of Customs to manage the situation appropriately.
The passenger and the seized currency are now in the custody of the Bureau of Customs for serial number identification and further investigation.
“This accomplishment highlights the importance of inter-agency coordination among airport authorities at our largest international airport, where various violations may occur and need to be addressed,” said Avsegroup Acting Director Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy.
Airport authorities reiterated their warning to travelers not to transport currency exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent in Philippine pesos without proper declaration.
The Customs Bureau noted that many individuals are caught smuggling large sums of money without declaration, often to evade taxes or engage in illegal activities.
The government requires accurate declaration and completion of Foreign Currency Declaration Forms for the importation and exportation of foreign currency exceeding USD 10,000 or its equivalent.
The Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Port of NAIA are also implementing cross-border measures concerning the transportation of currencies and monetary instruments in relation to the eTravel System, a digital platform for collecting data on passengers arriving in and departing from the Philippines.
In 2024, the Customs -NAIA introduced K-9 sniffing dogs to combat the increasing number of passengers attempting to smuggle large amounts of cash out of the country.
