Posted on 07/29/2020 7:04:40 AM PDT by edwinland
When he heads to airports now, Samuel Haile thinks of that day at Buffalo's airport a few years ago. The government took $12,000 from his carry-on and wouldn't give it back.
Haile was not charged with a crime
...
Dozens of passengers have suffered such a loss in recent years in Buffalo. With an X-ray machine, a screener spots a dense mass in a piece of luggage. If it's an unusually large sum of cash, the government takes it on the suspicion that it's drug money.
At Buffalo and every other airport in the country, the TSA screens bags and people in the name of airline safety, not because police have probable cause to think a crime is underway.
Still, those searches enrich law enforcement.
In Buffalo ... airport police and federal agents seized more than $860,000 over four years – more than $17,000 a month, on average ... the dozens of travelers relieved of their money were sent on their way.
...
TSA screeners can only seize objects that might imperil an airliner, and cash does not pose such a threat. Yet the screeners set the wheels in motion. ... after spotting amounts as small as $6,000, screeners turned to supervisors, who turned to Niagara Frontier Transit Authority police. The police called in their federal partners in a joint task force, usually the DEA or the FBI.
...
A drug-sniffing dog was led in. Most paper currency in the United States has come into contact with drugs, research has shown. The dog, in cases reviewed by The News, consistently confirmed the scent of narcotics. That gave the officials the final measure of probable cause needed to keep the cash. In a few weeks, the traveler received mailed instructions on how to appeal for the money's return.
(Excerpt) Read more at buffalonews.com ...
"He has sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance."
So when people say how could you be against gun registration? a waiting period? background checks? why the government would never abuse those powers ... would they?
Every time I have been thru the airport I always had at least $3000 cash in my pocket, the one guy asked me what it was and I told him it was Pocket Change, they never said another word.
Trump! Sound like a need for an executive order to the FBI /DEA folks who can’t get a clue about due process. This ought to be fireable offense and the office head should have to personally return the monehy with an apology and a settlement for costs incurred due to the inconvenience.
Just drive. I hate the commercial airline business. I love planes and flying but the regulations are unacceptable to me. Has anyone brought a money stolen by government regulations at airports, to the Supreme Court? When has legal tender become illegal?
Private persons should NOT be responsible for any aspect of reporting large cash transactions. Nor should they in any way be held accountable for taking steps to avoid reporting of same.
It is frankly not a delegated power of the federal government to busy body itself with who has how much cash nor should it be u der the preview of local governments.
(Actually, we should require the States to pay with nothing except gold and silver coin at the Constitution flatly requires ... it does not matter if they call federal reserve notes money, they are not gold or silver coin and are not lawful for the States to discharge their obligations with)
Cash is necessary to Liberty.
12K of cash and not being to be able to show where you got it from, like a bank receipt, looks pretty suspicious.
If not drugs then tax evasion.
Then drive!
New York needs the money, and Law Enforcement Officials need to violate people’s rights (rather than protect them). It’s who they are, it’s what they do.
Are you serious?
Civil asset forfeiture is a problem when driving with large amounts of cash.
There have been cases where people were pulled over with large amounts of cash to buy an automobile, and the state confiscated it on the pretense it was drug money.
What is this “cash” they speak of?
Isn’t that the stuff that our government prints copiously to pretend that we have wealth?
A friend stashed 80K in a pair if pantyhose tied around his waist to buy an antique car in Texas. Worked fine.
‘of’ not if
Government: “Hello! Look, I’ve printed up all of this nice green currency for you! You can use it to pay all debts public and private. I think you’ll find it very useful.”
Citizen: “Thanks! I’ll put it right here in my pocket in case I need it.”
Government: “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! You can’t do that! I’m taking it back.”
There are other ways to fight crime and terrorism without giving up one's freedoms.
In a car they have to have permission to search or GOOD REASON like someone in dyer need or physical evidence in plain sight.
I have a positive story (to counteract many negative experiences I’ve had).
We were moving from SoCal to central NYS, so leaving out of LAX. Since we were moving, we both had quite a lot of cash, not to mention important documents, with us. We got to the gate and I realized I didn’t have my purse. I ran back to security ... and there was my purse just sitting there at the end of the belt. It must’ve been 15 minutes. (Thank You, God!)
12K of cash and not being to be able to show where you got it from, like a bank receipt, looks pretty suspicious.
If not drugs then tax evasion.
~~~
Agree with the sentiment, but not the principle.
I think should be able to travel with cash. I personally don’t understand why you’d want to travel with 12k though, but then again I don’t claim to understand everyone’s lifestyles.
But you are right, if you are going to travel with that much cash, be prepared to show a bank statement from an account you’ve had for a notable period of time, and access other documentation that offers evidence of personal legitimate possession.
I do not agree that the government should be able to keep your property indefinitely though, not without due process.
Bee Ess! Drug money is just an excuse. They take it because they think they can get away with it. And, all too often, they do because it is costly to fight back.
How about carrying a bank withdrawal receipt with you?
Or he could simply want to buy a car or any other item that the seller may want cash. Don't jump to conclusions.
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