Frankfurt sniffer dog catches whiff of hidden cash stash
- Published
Aki sniffed out nearly €250,000 hidden by passengers in a few days
A sharp-nosed sniffer dog has helped German authorities to seize €247,280 (£223,673) worth of undeclared money from travellers at Frankfurt airport.
The Malinois pooch, named Aki, found 12 people's secret stashes in a matter of a few days in late June and early July.
In one instance, almost €52,000 was hidden in a man's pocket.
Officials said all the passengers were travelling to destinations outside the EU, and there are strict rules on registering cash.
Under EU rules, anyone flying to third countries is required to declare if they're carrying more than €10,000 in cash when entering or leaving the EU.
Aki also helped to seize more than €10,000 last year from a man travelling to China
But Aki's dogged determination helped customs officers discover wads of euro bills and dollar bills in a variety of shoulder bags, handbags and jacket pockets, officials said in a statement.
"The saying 'money doesn't stink' doesn't seem to apply to Aki," said Isabell Gillmann, a customs spokesperson at Frankfurt am Main airport.
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She added that cash controls were important for "combating tax evasion, money laundering and international terrorism."
It's not the first time nine-year-old Aki has made headlines. In January last year, the intrepid pooch gained media attention after helping customs to seize €10,775 from a man leaving for China.