Had a friend carry a lot of cash after big a big card game was boarding a domestic flight and was pulled aside and checked. He is under the impression that there is technology and machinery that can detect if you are carrying money. Does anyone know if this is true.

Possibly. Some airports use IR scanners that can detect iteme under your clothes. Don't know that much about it, though.

I was under the impression that they have dogs(?) that are trained to smell large amounts of cash. When one of the dogs fingers you they pull you aside and search you. If you have over 10k and have not declared it the gov can seize it on the spot.

This would only pertain to international flights, I believe. Basically our gov. wants to stop crime and they don't mind stepping on your rights.

If you are carrying large amount (ie over the allowable limit) of cash internationally, declare it. Friend does it all the time with large range of currencies. No harm done. If caught above the limit, it will most likely be confiscated.
I was asked at Saigon AP last weekend if I had lot of cash. I said no, and asked if he wanted to hand check my carry on luggage. He said no. I was perplexed, and this was after the bag was put through x-ray (on arrival into SGN). I checked my bag later, but no big wads of cash, which is easy to happen when carrying large amounts of low value (to us) currency, eg Vietnamese dong, Indonesian rupiah.
I have heard of cash sniffer dogs, but never had one over my carry on, except dog over all luggage early hours at Darwin AP.

the magnetic strip in new money is alleged to register on the scanners they have at international airports. I did haul two-grand in fifties and twenties to Zimbabwe last December, and nobody asked.

Rich

Different countries havve different limits about how much cash you can bring into and out of the country. Ukraine has a $4k limit in and out unless you declare it. The US is $10k unless you declare it at the border. And Checks count as cash too!

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Brooks:
Different countries havve different limits about how much cash you can bring into and out of the country. Ukraine has a $4k limit in and out unless you declare it. The US is $10k unless you declare it at the border. And Checks count as cash too!

Really? I had no idea.

The more I think about it, that just does not sound right.

But then, I am wrong about half the time and the laws don't make sense about half the time, so you may very well be correct.

For many countries, the limit includes negotiable instruments, like cheques, unless declared of course.

I took 15K in my 501 Tactical shirt with the velcro pocket. Had my customs form. When I got to my gate for Amesterdam at Detroit airport there were already 8 police and two dogs. One of the dogs shared my homemade chocolate chip cookies with me as I inquired about a customs agent. The officer in charge asked me why I wanted a customs agent and I explained. He simply said hand the customs form to the gate agent, which I did. Never heard another thing about it.


Dutch

quote:

If you have over 10k and have not declared it the gov can seize it on the spot.

Not unless you are crossing a border.

And the international limit is ten grand in cash or monetary instruments or a combination. $9,999.99, you're good. Make sure you don't have a forgotten penny in your pocket, though.

I believe that a lot of currency is tainted by drugs residue and it is possible that they detected this.
Peter.

I took 12K to Zim last year (didn't like it one bit, but the the outfit wanted the final payment in cash).. Declared it at Dulles and in Harare and I had no problems at either airports..
That being said, I DID NOT like that much cash on me in a country where they are US dollar hungry.. I felt like a target with that fat roll in my back pocket in Harare.. Won't do it again, and if the outfit insists I carry the cash to him/them in Zim, I will not book with him. No sense in it.
Right there is one added benefit of booking with an agent Stateside(off another recent AR post). Leave the monetary worries to the booking agent. It's his/her job.

quote:

Originally posted by Scottyboy:
I took 12K to Zim last year (didn't like it one bit, but the the outfit wanted the final payment in cash).. Declared it at Dulles and in Harare and I had no problems at either airports..
That being said, I DID NOT like that much cash on me in a country where they are US dollar hungry.. I felt like a target with that fat roll in my back pocket in Harare.. Won't do it again, and if the outfit insists I carry the cash to him/them in Zim, I will not book with him. No sense in it. Right there is one added benefit of booking with an agent Stateside(off another recent AR post). Leave the monetary worries to the booking agent. It's his/her job.

That is quite a story. The outfitter was requiring you to take a huge risk. I really would not have believed that anyone in the business could be that unprofessional.

I would believe that hunters bringing cash in-country is more common than one would expect. I was required to do the same as the operator needed the cash for operational expenses that required US dollars. All African countries/govt. are the same in that respect.


Ducth

Bank Checks, and Bearer Bonds count. Personal and unsecured checks do not, and that includes US government checks, as they are unsecured instruments. Be very careful in "unsophisticated" locations, they can have unlimited US Dollars in, none out. Oddest thing I've seen was Viet Nam. All Visa's were $20 US, no other currency was accepted. I wish I had taken a picture of the sign but the guys with AK's didn't think it was a Kodak Moment

BTW in the news recently- a Ron Paul campaign worker was pulled out of line and questioned by TSA about the $4700 in cash he was carrying domestically. COmplaints were filed and a policy memo went out that TSA cannot screen or questions about anything other than prohibited items within their portfolio.

link to article

Everyone should read the link 404WJJeffery provided.

I am not against LEOs, but that story really gets under my skin. Why would a LEO believe he has the right to detain someone who has $4,700 in his possession? There is no law against carrying around "large amounts" of cash. And who in their right mind would call $4,700 a large amount of cash?

What is this country coming to? LEOs have a very hard job, and I am glad we have so many good ones, but the officers in question need to be bounced.

From the article:

quote:

In response, the American Civil Liberties Union is dropping its lawsuit on behalf of Steve Bierfeldt, the man who was detained in March and who recorded the confrontation on his iPhone as TSA and local police officers spent half an hour demanding answers as to why he was carrying the money through Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

quote:

Mr. Bierfeldt recorded audio of the confrontation on his iPhone, including threats, insults and repeated questions about where he obtained the money.

"Are you from this planet?" one officer told him, while another accused him of acting like a child for asking what part of the law forced him to answer their questions about the money.

Some cops just like to throw their weight around. I have told them to piss off in the past and would do it were I in that situation. They lock me up and I own them.

I had a Customs officer at MIA GAC make implied threats about strip searching me and my crew when we came on from Bogota with a load of flowers one night. I was tired and fed up and by the time I finished with him, I had his fellow Customs officers laughing at him. He was furious, but he made a fool of himself and I helped him.

I think many LEO's would take exception to being lumped in with TSA. I still remember when TSA was formed and how the bar kept being lowered so that they would not have to fire most of the inept civilian security guards. So we ended up with the same incompetence level, but with higher pay, higher benefits, and more authority.

CharlesL

The article stated that it was TSA and local LEOs the were involved:

quote:

the man who was detained in March and who recorded the confrontation on his iPhone as TSA and local police officers spent half an hour demanding answers as to why he was carrying the money through Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

quote:

Originally posted by Scottyboy:
I took 12K to Zim last year (didn't like it one bit, but the the outfit wanted the final payment in cash).. Declared it at Dulles and in Harare and I had no problems at either airports..
That being said, I DID NOT like that much cash on me in a country where they are US dollar hungry.. I felt like a target with that fat roll in my back pocket in Harare.. Won't do it again, and if the outfit insists I carry the cash to him/them in Zim, I will not book with him. No sense in it. Right there is one added benefit of booking with an agent Stateside(off another recent AR post). Leave the monetary worries to the booking agent. It's his/her job.

That is quite a story. The outfitter was requiring you to take a huge risk. I really would not have believed that anyone in the business could be that unprofessional.

Yep J,
I won't do that again. Didn't like it one bit and I let them all know that I wasn't they're portable ATM machine flown in from the States.. 2010's hunts will be paid up in full before I leave Tucson..regardless if they like or not.

I've carried cash to Africa many, many times. When I was flying out of Angola, I once couiered $20,000.00 inside two zippered pockets in a Patagonia-designed sport travel jacket. Didn't mention anything to anybody. I didn't take the jacket off the entire trip, though.

We almost always carried large amounts of cash on third world international flights to pay for fuel. The Herc holds a lot of kerosene.

I often used a large money pouch that velcroes around my waist. Guess you could call it a money belt, but it isn't quite like that. Fits inside your pants below your belt buckle, but not too low... I can stuff at least ten or fifteen grand in it with no problem. It's invisible.

Euros come in thousand Euro denomination, so that a good way to carry cash with no bulges. If I have less than ten grand on me, I never put it in my carry on. I alwasy have it on me somewhere and never mention it. It's none of TSA's frigging business if I have money on me, or anyone else's for that matter.

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr: It's none of TSA's frigging business if I have money on me, or anyone else's for that matter.

Nope, but it is a concern of the DHS, they made it their business after 9-11. If you're caught coming into the US with more that $10K of cash (or equivalent) undeclared, you lose the money.
That's that. And then the criminal investigation begins.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/tra...ation/kbyg/money.xml

Good luck with that.

It's been that way a long time before DHS was created, as long as I can remember. As I mentioned above, $9999.99 and you're good. Hit ten grand or over and you're supposed to declare it. Nothing's changed, except the "war on drugs" gets these cops fired up because they're just looking for a reason to confiscate your money. Particularly local cops. I'll declare over ten with Customs if I have that much, but not a dime if I have less, and I will secrete it about my person so some TSA clown won't find it in my carry-on. Additionally, someone could snatch your carry-on and you lose your cash. All it takes is a careless second or two and it can disappear instantly. Never carry cash in a carry-on.

Always use a money belt or something like it.

If you're making too big of a bulge carrying American hundreds, go to a bank and buy some thousand Euro notes, if you can find one that has them.

These are lessons learned from a lifetime of international travel.

Sorry jet, it's not just drugs or "the local cops" it's about terrorism which does not generate cash but needs it to operate effectively. Obviously you are not going to change your mind, but would you have the same opinion if someone else like "Muhammed Sheik whatever" was quoted as saying what you have been saying above?
Peter.

I carried about 5 thousand to South Africa this summer in cash. I was not comfortable about it, but I don't feel comfortable walking around with $100 either.

I was not questioned or searched about any of it.

A large amount of cash = drug money to .gov thugs and can be seized on a whim.

Welcome to Amerika, comrades.

Damn, besides jetdrvr and I, the government has turned most of y'all into a bunch of wusses. WTF? I routinely carry at least $5000 in cash anytime I leave the country. I've carried as high as $25,000 when I thought I was going to buy something. Of course, as stated, I declare it at $10,000 or more.

The key to carrying cash or anything valuable is not looking like you've got 2 nickels to rub together. Luckily, I match that easily, often wearing overalls, which I wear on my ranch everyday and like them. Carrying $10,000 in the front 2 chest pockets is easy and invisible.
OTOH, I don't wear Rolexes or any serious type jewelry anywhere. Don't advertise and keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. And remember, just because you're a little bit paranoid doesn't meant that someone is not out to get you.

Amen Gordo, overalls and all!

I too carry what I want ....... when and where I want. I am a cash and carry kind of guy. I've almost always got at least a grand in cash on me at all times, this is just walking around money around town. I do not do Credit Cards at all.

I've had some businesses try to refuse to take cash here in the US, but when you read them the logo: Good for all debts public and private, they kinda have to take it.

I carry cash to Zim to help my outfitter out, not because he asked, but because I know it will help him!

I too carry it on my person not in luggage.

Looks like the Texas boys like to carry a lot of cash around. I certainly don't LIKE to but when required on my Zim hunt I had $25K on my body all the way through. Did declare it but no one asked about it. Tried to do the wire transfer but my PH was not agreeable so it was cash and carry. Unfortunately I made it back with much more than I would have liked as the trophy fees did not materialize as planned.

Jetdrvr- Do you know/remember who made your under the pants belt?

I watched a documentary once about the money sniffing dogs. They obviously cant differentiate ink on the $100 note from that on the $1 note so they can and usually do get false positives if someone is carrying a wad of 120 singles for example. They are trained to detect the amount of currency being carried assuming the carrying of ONLY the largest denomination bill. Amazingly, the dogs shown were usually within a few bills when it came to accuracy. Some woman on the show I saw, probably a waitress, looked surprised as all hell when she was pulled out of line for carrying a wad of 98 fives and ones. I doubt very seriously they are trained to detect most foreign currency but, as stated, a wad of fifty 1000 Euro notes is $75,000 these days and probably wouldn't be noticed by the dogs as anything. Assuming the ink is the same on all Euro notes, they just cant search every person carrying seven 5 euro notes into the US. That said, just declare it and be done. They will ask you why you are carrying it rather than wiring it so be prepared for that. Depending upon one's destination and home, you just say "Would you trust a bank in the third world shithole of XXXX with this kind of money?" It always gets a chuckle from the customs agent.