Salesman tries to board flight with over half a million in cash

A travelling salesman from the island of Curacao was nabbed as he was about to leave Belize on an American Airline flight. He reportedly had on him close to three hundred thousand U.S. dollars in cheques and cash… that’s way over half a million Belize dollars. According to reports from the Financial Intelligence Unit, on Saturday Dharmendra Motwani attempted to board an American Airlines flight en route to Miami without declaring the money. Motwani, is said to be a salesman for the Ganesh Company. He was in Belize for collections at the Corozal Free Zone and was heading back to the island when he was held by authorities. Director of the F.I.U., Marilyn Williams says that Motwani was in violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

Duane Moody
“Ms. Williams, why is it that a person would be travelling with such a large, obscene quantity of money—cash and cheques.”

Marilyn Williams, Director, Financial Intelligence Unit (Via Phone)
“Well I mean I can’t certify why they would be doing so, but certainly under our laws—under section thirty-seven of the Money Laundering Act, certainly they would need to declare it to the Financial Intelligence Unit and at that point we would be asking why. And once we have ascertained ourselves that it is for legitimate purposes we would authorise and give them a form that is fined. However, if you don’t make the declaration to F.I.U. thereby depriving us of the opportunity to question the source of the funds, it is an offence that is punishable under our laws.”

Motwani has since been charged with Failure to Declare Funds exceeding fifteen thousand dollars and was fined thirty thousand dollars for the crime.