Police nabbed a Bahamian woman of Haitian descent on Tuesday morning for failing to declare a significant amount of money while processing through United States (U.S.) Border Patrol at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA).
Sources confirmed to Eyewitness News Wednesday that the woman was arrested at LPIA shortly before 12noon Tuesday after U.S. Border Patrol Officer officers found that she was attempting to sneak over $10, 000 into the US.
According to reports, the woman was in the process of clearing U.S. Border Patrol for a noon American Eagle flight into Miami.
Authorities confirmed to Eyewitness News that the woman declared $30,000 dollars to the border patrol agents, but failed to declare an additional $10,565.
The additional undeclared funds were allegedly hidden in a bag that she was carrying, police said.
The woman was subsequently arrested and all monies confiscated, authorities confirmed.
Superintendent Shanta Knowles, Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Press Liaison, suggested that there seems to be an increase in the amount of these types of incidents where travellers are being nabbed at LPIA for failing to declare monies in excess of $10,000.
She issued this warning to the travelling public.
“The law states that everyone should declare how much money they are taking and we know that, that amount is $10,000. If you are taking more than that amount out of the country you should declare that to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol,” she said.
“Failing to declare that much funds could lead you to being arrested and put before the courts as we have seen in the past three weeks or so.”
Authorities have not revealed when they will haul the Bahamian woman before the court to face criminal charges.
