Acccording the news from OE 24 (Austria): At the beginning of April 2024, customs discovered 700,000 euros in the luggage of two travellers at Vienna-Schwechat Airport. The banknotes were hidden in plastic bags and in various items of clothing.
During the routine security check, a large sum of cash was initially found with a man from Afghanistan. Customs were called in due to the lack of a cash declaration. According to the man, the money allegedly came from the Viennese grocery shop of his cousin, who was also checked on site. The two men were on their way to Istanbul and, according to their statements, wanted to use the money for shopping.
320,000 euros in hand luggage alone
In the course of the customs inspection, almost 320,000 euros were seized in their hand luggage. During investigation by the customs authorities, the suspects were asked whether they had any more cash with them. This was denied several times.
Subsequently, the flight tickets of the two suspects were also checked. It was discovered that a piece of luggage had also been checked in. The customs officers were able to track down the checked-in baggage. It contained more than 380,000 euros. The undeclared cash was provisionally seized and criminal financial proceedings were initiated against the two Afghans.
Finance Minister Magnus: ‘When travelling to another EU country, cash in excess of 10,000 euros must be declared. This procedure is important in order to prevent illegal money movements such as money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Many thanks to our colleagues at the Austrian customs office for their responsible work and their targeted control activities.’
