Photo credit: BOC

The Bureau of Customs-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) isn’t playing when it comes to money smuggling. On February 21, 2025, customs officers at NAIA Terminal 1 intercepted a Filipino passenger bound for Hong Kong carrying a hefty stash of undeclared foreign cash.

So, what’s the damage? Authorities seized 3,950,000 Japanese Yen (JPY), 20,000 Euros (EUR), and 8,500 Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD), all tucked away in the passenger’s hand-carry. It wasn’t until the routine x-ray screening flagged something suspicious that officers decided to dig deeper—leading to the discovery of the hidden bundles of cash.

Now, the passenger is facing inquest proceedings for multiple violations, including the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, foreign exchange regulations, and the Anti-Money Laundering Act. BOC-NAIA emphasized that this operation aligns with President Marcos Jr.’s anti-money laundering strategy, ensuring financial security and keeping the country off the Financial Action Task Force’s dreaded Grey List.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio reaffirmed the agency’s tough stance on cross-border cash smuggling, highlighting that BOC-NAIA’s strict enforcement played a key role in improving the country’s financial security. And they’ve got the numbers to prove it—BOC-NAIA recorded 158 similar interceptions in 2024 (a staggering 2,000% increase from 2023) and has already caught 28 cases in 2025!

With District Collector Yasmin O. Mapa at the helm, BOC-NAIA is making it clear: trying to sneak cash out of the country without proper declaration? Think again.