A man was arrested returning home from Switzerland to Italy with the equivalent of $10 million, simply hidden under his seat.
The investigation by the authorities should determine whether the seized traveller’s cheques came from a repatriation from one or several banks and were fraudulently travelled to evade the tax authorities – remember that any amount over €10,000 in cash must be declared.
When asked about any other amounts or assets that needed to be declared, the man, who was traveling alone, replied that he had nothing. This did not convince the authorities, who decided to conduct further investigations.
The moment was a routine roadside check by customs officials of this driver in his truck: the driver was ordered to stop near Lake Como when the authorities across the Alps took control of him: in a bag, under his seat, there were 20 notebooks of 50 traveler’s checks each “with a total face value of $10 million (about 9.1 million euros).”
The 64-year-old pensioner, from Bergamo province, immediately saw his bag confiscated and a report was filed for him to quickly explain to the courts the source of the money, on suspicion of receiving stolen goods.
Dalla Svizzera in Italy for €10 million in a traveler’s cheque: Firmato Pensionato https://t.co/t4p9y5mmnq
– Corriere della Sera (@Corriere) August 13, 2024
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