By Ma. Cristina Arayata
MANILA – Authorities intercepted a hefty amount of undeclared cash from a Hong Kong-bound passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Wednesday.
The undeclared cash amounting to USD580,000 (PHP32.48 million) and PHP1.2 million was accidentally discovered during a screening procedure, Office for Transportation Security (OTS) spokesperson Kim Marquez said Thursday.
In a news release, the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (AVSEGROUP) said the intercepted money and the passenger are currently in the custody of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) 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 must be held accountable,” AVSEGROUP acting chief Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy was quoted as saying.
The OTS personnel normally discover undeclared cash incidentally, since what they are looking for are dangerous items and weapons that could be used to hijack a plane.
The screening personnel incidentally discover bundles of cash during manual inspection.
Under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, travelers are required to declare foreign currency exceeding USD10,000 and Philippine peso exceeding 50,000.
In a separate news release, the BOC said inquest proceedings have already been initiated against the unnamed passenger.
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, meanwhile, commended the vigilance of BOC-NAIA personnel and reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to upholding customs laws and safeguarding the country’s borders against illicit financial flows.
“This exemplifies the relentless efforts of the Bureau to maintaining our status following our removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s Grey List and in upholding reforms against money laundering,” he said.
BOC-NAIA District Collector lawyer Yasmin Mapa said the apprehension is consistent with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to combat illicit financial activities in the country. (With a report from Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
