Over the past year, the Border Police prevented ten attempts of bulk cash smuggling during security checks at the Chisinau International Airport. A total of 319,000 US dollars, 141,000euros, 53,000 pounds and 266,000 Russian rubles were detected in undeclared currency. Involved in these cases were three Moldovan citizens, three Romanians, four Russians, one Israeli citizen and one United States citizen, according to a press release of the Border Police.

Contacted by IPN, Border Police spokesperson Raisa Novitchi said that at the Chisinau Airport the Border Police are responsible for operating scanners in the boarding area. “There may be many more other cases of cash smuggling via the Airport, but this is already the jurisdiction of the Customs Service, which checks the rest of the luggage (other than the hand luggage allowed in the cabin). There could be many more similar cases at the land border crossings as well, at the border with Romania and Ukraine, where checks are also performed by Customs Service officers”, explained Raisa Novitchi.

Of the ten cases reported by the Border Police at the Airport, two attempts were recorded in the first half of the year and the rest in the other half. The cases were referred to the Customs Service for further proceedings leading to sanctioning.

The act of carrying undeclared cash that exceeds the equivalent of 10,000 euros carries administrative or criminal sanctions, as the undeclared excess may be confiscated.