Suitcases Full of Cash On Plane (New Mexico)

ABQ journal ^ | 12/5/03

[knak]

A tip from an Albuquerque aircraft charter company led Moriarty Police to an airplane with an unusual cargo— suitcases full of more than $1 million in cash.

Moriarty Police Chief Bobby Garcia said the two currency-filled suitcases seized from an airplane at the city's airport on Nov. 27 weighed more than 300 pounds. They contained $1,169,896, Garcia said Wednesday.

No arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation.

The events that led to the cash seizure began when a private plane requested an emergency landing at the Moriarty Municipal Airport due to engine problems around noon on Thanksgiving.

Garcia said Kamlesh Rana, 34, of Connecticut was piloting the 1978 Piper six-seater airplane. Rana told police he was instructed by his supervisor, Carlos Cruz, who owns the Piper aircraft, to fly his passenger from New Jersey to Arizona.

According to the flight plan, Rana and his passenger, Yuri Folks, 31, were traveling from New Jersey with a final destination of Glendale, Ariz., Garcia said.

Once the plane landed in Moriarty, however, Rana could not restart the plane. Garcia said Rana then called Bode Aviation in Albuquerque to request a charter for him and his passenger.

Bode Aviation refused to comment on the events that took place. However, Garcia said the dispatcher at the aviation company became suspicious when Rana told her he had one passenger, whose name he did not know, and 300 pounds of cargo.

After speaking to Rana, the Bode dispatcher phoned Moriarty Police to alert them of her suspicions, Garcia said.

Officers arrived on scene and separated the pilot and passenger for questioning, he said. Neither knew the other's name.

"It was odd that the pilot did not know the name of the passenger, since they had been flying together from New Jersey," he said.

Officers requested permission to search the aircraft and asked if there was anything on the plane they should know about. Both men denied there was anything unusual on the plane, removed their personal belongings and agreed to the search.

Once their items were removed a large suitcase remained in the rear cargo area. Folks and Rana both denied that the suitcase belonged to them.

Police removed the suitcase from the airplane, opened it and discovered, "a substantial amount of cash wrapped tightly in cellophane," Garcia said. At that point police requested assistance from the Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI, Garcia said.

A drug-sniffing dog from the State Motor Transportation Department was brought to the scene to search the aircraft, Garcia said. He said the dog "hit on the plane's front cargo compartment," directly behind the engine. Another suitcase filled with cellophane-wrapped cash was discovered in the front cargo area.

Garcia said no narcotics were found on board the airplane or in either of the suitcases. However, he said the suitcases could have residual narcotics on them, which would alert the drug-sniffing dog.

The money has been kept in a local Moriarty bank since being confiscated. It will be turned over to the FBI as evidence, Garcia said.

Bill Elwell, spokesman for the FBI in Albuquerque, said the pilot was questioned by FBI agents and released.

Folks, however, was not in possession of the necessary documentation to be in the United States, and it has been determined that he is here illegally, said Leticia Zamarripa, public information liaison for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection in El Paso. "He is being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at this time," Zamarripa said.

The FBI believes Folks may be a citizen of Jamaica. Elwell said a judicial process will determine what happens to the money unless one of the parties involved can prove it is legally theirs and they have a reason for having it.

"Can it be legal cash? I don't know," Elwell said. Elwell said there is nothing illegal about carrying, or transporting, large sums of money. However, it is highly suspicious.

He said "nine times out of 10 we are thinking (in these situations) that this could be drug money."

Elwell said he could not comment further due to the pending investigation of the case.

The questioning of the pilot when he tried to rent another plane was routine, according to aviation officials.

Thomas Linn of A-1 Executive Jet Worldwide Charter in Scottsdale, Ariz., said if someone phoned in to request a charter and was not one of the company's regular customers, some preliminary checking would be conducted over the phone.

"We would do some checking for verification of address, passenger list, and (ensure) all passengers are in possession of a current, valid U.S. government-issued identification card," Linn said.

[Hildy]

This sounds like that movie, KNOCKAROUND GUYS...anyone see it?

[EUPHORIC]

It's messed up that we live in a society where the authorities automatically go after a suitcase full of cash, regardless of whether it is known to be involved in anything illegal. I'm wondering what the threshold of suspicion is, that is, how much cash can I carry without being detained by the gendarmes on suspicion of drug smuggling?

Are you naturally that ignorant or have you been indoctrinated into that state of mind?

[EUPHORIC]

Right on, Buddy. The ironic thing is that this money probably came straight from Rush Limbaugh's pockets.

Nah. Just an interest payment on Clinton's latest payola round.

[Joe Hadenuf]

and it has been determined that he is here illegally, said Leticia Zamarripa, public information liaison for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection in El Paso.

Our country is so infested with people that are here illegally.

It is f-ing out of control.......

[leadpenny]

How do you post at 8:47pm Eastern on 5Dec and not sign up until 6Dec03?

[Cvengr]

I wonder if they tested the bank teller with the sniffles who transacted the cash to be tested.

[Travis McGee]

Penny for your thoughts.

[geopyg]

Kamlesh Rana? Yuri Folks?

Yeah - I think those are both historically considered Norwegian names, or perhaps Swedish. ;-)

[onyx]

A nickle for yours.

[Travis McGee]

I think the published flight plan and the intended flight plan were not one and the same.

[onyx]

I think the published flight plan and the intended flight plan were not one and the same.

I wish I'd thought of that, because I think you're right. Good going, Trav.

[eno_]

In either event, one would have probable cause to suspect foul play was involved, I suppose.

Very sad. So there is no presumption that having cash is none of the government's G.D. business?

[eno_]

Are you naturally sexually aroused by the smell of fresh polish on jackboots, or were your indoctrinated to lick them?

[okie01]

"Very sad. So there is no presumption that having cash is none of the government's G.D. business?"

Can you give me a totally innocent reason why somebody would be carrying around that much cash -- aside from terminal eccentricity?

The presumption is warranted because there is roughly a 100-to-1 shot that somebody is involved in criminal activity -- including terrorism.

[EUPHORIC]

Are you naturally sexually aroused by the smell of fresh polish on jackboots, or were your indoctrinated to lick them?

Nah. I'll leave the sick screwball fetishes up to you and your ilk.

[eno_]

The correct question is (or so our Founders thought): "Why should the government be allowed to sieze cash just because it exists in a large amount?"

In other words, how much wealth am I allowed to transport or accumulate before I am presumed to be a criminal.

John Ashcroft's answer is "Enough to open a business checking account." since now the FBI can require any business to turn over any records or documents without a warrant. If that is not a complete travesty of "being secure in documents and effects" then what is?

[CedarDave]

Sign up date and time appears to be Zulu or GMT time -- time at Greenwich, England and the universal time for use by aviation, weather services and, apparently, this forum. Since it is five (EST), six(CST), seven(MST) or eight(PST) hours ahead of local time, one can easily sign up after 4 p.m. today (12/6) in LA and be shown as a member since 12/7 when you highlight his/her name.

[leadpenny]

GMT would do it. Thanks.

[HighWheeler]

There is another issue here.

If these two people on board were truly unaware of the extra 300 pound load on board, especially the pilot, this could have caused the plane to stall on landing after the tanks were nearly empty.

Having a tail-heavy, light plane is a fast way to die.

There should be a trail of manifests for this particular plane which describes a 300 pound load being placed on board, and who wanted it there.

Otherwise, I suspect someone on the maintenance crew somewhere wanted this plane to be used for covert shipment.

[cynicom]

Ezz not my zootcase.