Philadelphia customs officers seize more than $6.5M in fake cash from Russia

PHILADELPHIA — Customs agents in Philadelphia seized more than $6.5 million in counterfeit U.S. currency that arrived from Russia.

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According to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the officers seized the money after it arrived in international air cargo. The money was heading to an address near Chicago, customs officials said.

Customs officers discovered a combined $6,511,294 in counterfeit U.S. currency that arrived in five parcels during September, the news release stated.

The latest parcel, which CBP inspected on Tuesday, contained 3,011,000 euros in denominations of 10, 50, 100 and 500 euro notes, the CBP said. The euros are worth approximately $3,485,794 in U.S. dollars. Officers also discovered $20,500 in fake $1 bills in one parcel on Sept. 14, $2 million in fake $100 bills and $15,000 in fake $1 bills in separate packages on Sept. 16, and $990,000 in fake $100 bills on Sept. 17.

CPB contacted the Secret Service, which determined that the currency was counterfeit and initiated procedures to take control of the bogus bills.

“This is an outstanding interception by Customs and Border Protection officers of an alarming amount of restricted currency that may be altered to look authentic and potentially used to hurt our nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” Edward Moriarty, CBP’s acting area port director in Philadelphia, said in a statement. “CBP remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners in our collective efforts to interrupt financial scams and to protect our nation’s economic security.”

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