AGENTS SEIZE CASH IN 6-WEEK STING

Customs Finds Other Violations

El Paso customs inspectors discovered more than $205,500 in five cash
seizures during a six-week national operation aimed at stopping unreported
currency from leaving the United States, the U.S. Customs Service said.

"The vast majority we feel is related to drug trafficking," customs
spokesman Roger Maier said. "It put a significant dent in drug traffickers'
ability to operate."

Operation Powerplay also gave inspectors a glimpse of what leaves the
country every day.

"Currency was our primary interest, but other things turned up," Maier
said. Namely: 32 fugitives, 23 export violations, two weapons, one load of
marijuana, 39 pairs of handcuffs (a Department of Commerce violation) and
one hazardous-materials violation.

Nationwide, customs made 262 currency seizures, a total of $11.3 million,
found an alleged child pornographer and recovered 35 stolen vehicles during
the operation.

Inspectors, assisted by currency dogs and X-ray devices, worked with state
and local law-enforcement and National Guard units to target air, sea and
land passengers, air and sea cargo, and courier hubs.

They found cash swallowed in condoms, inserted in hollowed-out cigarettes
and concealed in diapers.

Twenty-seven percent of currency seizures occurred at land borders such as
El Paso. More than half of all the seized cash was destined for Mexico,
Israel, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Jamaica, customs
officials said.

Leads generated during their operation were used to initiate 173
investigations.

"(This operation) was part of our overall anti-money laundering strategy to
force traffickers to use far more riskier methods of smuggling their
illegal profits from the drug trade," said U.S. Customs Service
Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

There is no limit on the amount of money that a person can legally
transport when entering or leaving the United States. However, federal law
requires that amounts over $10,000 be declared with customs.

Authorities have tried to make it increasingly difficult for criminals to
deposit large sums of cash in U.S. banks, which are strictly regulated.

Customs officials say criminals overcome this problem by smuggling their
profits to countries where cash is more easily deposited into banks. Once
in a bank account, the funds can be instantly wired anywhere in the world,
including the United States.

Customs agents say the smuggling of large sums of cash is not easy.

In $5 bills, $1 million weighs 440 pounds. The amount of crack cocaine that
generates $1 million is only 22 pounds.

From 1996 to 1999, customs seized approximately $284 million in outbound
currency.

In El Paso, customs made 142 seizures in 1999 for a total of $1.5 million.
In April of 1997, El Paso customs agents found $5.6 million stashed in a
compartment in the ceiling of an 18-wheeler, Maier said.