U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Baltimore seized $70,737 in unreported currency from the captain of the bulk freighter M/V Sheng Ning Hai on 22 January.

The ship, owned by China’s state-run COSCO Shipping Lines and flagged in China, was inspected as part of a routine port enforcement check.

During such inspections, vessel captains must declare all currency on board. In this case, the captain did not report carrying any cash.

Records showed that the captain had previously filed a Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) 105 form for $34,480 during an earlier stop in Searsport, Maine.

After leaving Maine, the vessel agent reportedly gave him an additional $40,000, which was not reported during the Baltimore inspection, nor updated in his earlier FinCEN 105 filing.

CBP officers returned the next day to search the vessel more thoroughly and found the full $70,737 in the purser’s safe. The money was seized, while the ship was allowed to continue its journey.

Authorities said vessel captains are expected to comply with U.S. law when entering American ports, and noted that the captain had previously made port calls in the U.S. and filed FinCEN 105 forms.

CBP’s acting director in Baltimore said such violations by commercial ship captains are rare, but the agency closely monitors vessels from countries considered adversarial to protect U.S. security and economic interests.

Under U.S. law, travellers may carry any amount of cash, but amounts over $10,000 must be reported using a FinCEN 105 form. Failure to declare can lead to seizure and investigation.

CBP said that in fiscal year 2024, officers seized an average of $152,418 in unreported or illegal cash each day along U.S. borders.

The agency screens travellers and cargo nationwide for undeclared cash, illegal drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods, prohibited agricultural products, and other items that could threaten public safety or the economy.

Reference: CBP