A 78-year-old woman tried to board an international flight from Detroit with $41,000 strapped to her, Jezebel reported.
A complaint filed on Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit said the woman, who has not been identified, was trying to fly to the Philippines on April 2 with her daughter. She submitted a form declaring that she had $1,200 on her after initially claiming she only had $200 in cash, which prompted questions from authorities, according to Emirates 24/7.
Customs and Border Protection officers found $8,000 in wallets inside of her carry-on bag, $4,000 sewn into a cloth pouch and roughly $1,000 in envelopes, according to the complaint. She later told authorities she had $3,000 in her blouse and $2,000 sewn into the strap of her bra.
Officers continued the search and also found $21,000 hidden in her girdle. The elderly woman said she had sold her home for $120,000 and wired some money to the Philippines, but planned to carry a portion of the money with her, Emirates 24/7 reported. She stated that she didn't want to wire all of the proceeds to the Philippines because she thought it was safer to carry the money.
Under federal law, travelers must declare if they are carrying more than $10,000. The woman hasn't been charged, but the government in the forfeiture complaint wants to keep the money.
