Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs announced in a statement yesterday that its officers seized US$80,000 (646,933 patacas) and 40,000 euros (372,936 patacas) in cash – totalling roughly 1.01 million patacas – at the Gongbei Port checkpoint on July 30.
Gongbei Customs identified the suspect as a female Macau resident surnamed Wong.
According to the statement, Wong was exiting Zhuhai en route to Macau via the “green channel” (nothing to declare) in the passenger inspection hall. Customs officers noticed that she was walking hurriedly and avoiding eye contact by looking down. They stopped her for inspection and, upon further examination, discovered 12 bundles of cash concealed around her waist and inside her underwear. The cash totalled US$80,000 and 40,000 euros, equivalent to around 856,000 yuan.
Gongbei Customs reminded travellers that they are permitted to carry foreign currency only up to the equivalent of US$5,000 when exiting the Chinese mainland for the first time within a 15-day period. Passengers leaving the mainland for a second or subsequent time within a 15-day period may carry no more than the equivalent of US$1,000, while those leaving multiple times within a single day are limited to the equivalent of US$500 each time.
Amounts exceeding these limits will not be cleared by Customs unless the traveller has obtained an official permit from foreign exchange authorities or an authorised bank, according to the statement.
This undated handout photo provided by Zhuhai’s Gongbei Customs yesterday shows 12 bundles of cash seized by its officers at Gongbei Port (checkpoint) on July 30.
