MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted a passenger from Malaysia who kept with bundles of Philippine peso bills worth P1.1 million in his luggage on Friday night, March 6.
In a statement, the BOC said that passenger was identified as Gan Kang Hsiung, who held a Malaysian passport. The 32-year-old arrived via an AirAsia flight at around 9 pm on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
The BOC said one of its examiners noticed that Gan and his two companions were “acting suspiciously” at the terminal. The customs examiner then directed Hsiung to bring his checked-in baggage to the examination lane, which showed that it was filled with bundles of Philippine peso bills.
“The Philippine currency was seized for violation of Republic Act No. 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act) in relation to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Circular No. 922 s.2016 on Cross-Border Transfer of Local and Foreign Currencies,” the BOC said.
The importation or exportation of Philippine currency is regulated under the BSP. A person may bring in and out of the Philippines not more than P50,000 and any amount exceeding that will require authorization from the central bank prior to importation or exportation. – Pauline Macaraeg/Rappler.com
