In the months of January to May this year, €2 million in cash has already been intercepted at Zaventem airport, according to figures from customs, which checks arriving passengers.
In 2022, €1.1 million in cash was found in the same period (January to May). The increase is partly due to the increasing number of passengers at the airport, according to Kristian Vanderwaeren, an administrator at the Ministry of Finance.
"There are more flights and more passengers, so you also have more findings of violations," Vanderwaeren said. "But even taking that into account, we are making more determinations than a few years ago."
Prolific dog
Half of the intercepted money was recovered by sniffer dog Bella. On Wednesday, Bella uncovered a large sum of cash – that eventually turned out to be €35,000 – in a young lady's luggage. The other half of the found cash was discovered by scanning devices and by customs officers physically opening suitcases.
Customs has additionally noticed a considerable rise in the number of jewellery intercepted this year. In the period from January to June, 348 violations were detected, up from 125 in the same period last year. According to Customs, the increase is due to better deployment of detection equipment.
If a passenger is carrying jewellery or other items with a total value of €430 or more, they are also obliged to declare them to customs. "Failure to do so can result in a fine, which can amount to 30% of the value of the item," Vanderwaeren said. "Not declaring a €200,000 Rolex watch, for example, could cost you dearly."
Fines for not declaring cash range from €750 to €1,250. If there are suspicions of money laundering or other offences, the police conduct further investigations. Customs further checks for items including counterfeit products, cigarettes, animals and food. On Wednesday, for example, a cargo of bush meat was recovered.
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"People do not always know what they are allowed to take back home after a trip," said Finance Minister Van Peteghem. "We want to inform passengers clearly about what is and is not allowed: a clear and detailed information brochure can therefore be found on the FPS Finance [the Federal Finance Ministry] website. During the summer period, we also provide extra staff at customs so that checks can run smoothly."
