NT$4.8 million in cash seized from woman at airport
2015/12/23 11:26:13
(Photo courtesy of the Aviation Police Bureau)
Taipei, Dec. 23 (CNA) A Taiwanese woman was stopped by police at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Tuesday with NT$4.8 million (US$146,263) in cash concealed in her luggage and carry-on baggage, aviation police said.
Police said the woman, surnamed Lung, intended to board a plane for Bangkok on Tuesday night, but she was found to have something suspicious in her luggage during an X-ray security check.
After a thorough examination, police discovered NT$4.8 million in NT$1,000-denomination bills concealed in her luggage and carry-on baggage.
The money was seized because it far exceeded the maximum NT$100,000 in cash air passengers are allowed to take out of the country when they leave Taiwan.
Lung was not allowed to board her flight, but was allowed to return home after being questioned by the police. She told them she was taking the money to Bangkok to purchase a house there.
The money will be returned to the woman, the police said, and she will not face a fine or other form of punishment.
There are no penalties for taking excessive amounts of Taiwan dollars out of the country, but penalties do exist for leaving Taiwan with foreign currencies exceeded the maximum amount permitted.
Since Dec. 1, a cumulative NT$44.09 million has been seized at the airport after several travelers attempted to take more than the maximum NT$100,000 out of the country, according to aviation police.
On Dec. 1, a South Korean woman was intercepted at the airport while attempting to take NT$1.9 million out of the country.
A day later, a Taiwanese woman heading to Jakarta was stopped by airport police with NT$16.6 million in cash concealed in her luggage.
On Dec. 10, a Taiwanese man and an Indonesian man were stopped separately at the airport after they attempted to take a combined NT$2.5 million in cash out of the country.
On Dec. 19, a Hong Kong woman was intercepted at the airport after she attempted to take four 1-kilogram gold bullion bars worth nearly NT$5 million out of Taiwan, more than the maximum US$20,000 (NT$656,000) allowed.
(By Bien Chin-feng and Evelyn Kao)
