It was an expensive stop in the Canadian cruise port of Saint John, New Brunswick for one cruise passenger who forgot an important travel rule: always declare your cash.
Border officers seized more than US$23,000 from a cruiser earlier this month after the money wasn’t reported when the ship docked in the city, according to news reports.
The incident happened on September 3, when officers from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) boarded the vessel as part of the standard customs process.
The passenger, a citizen of India, had US$23,260 in undeclared funds which is well above Canada’s reporting threshold of C$10,000. While there’s no actual limit on how much cash you can bring into or out of the country, travelers are required by law to declare it.
Failing to do so can be very costly. The CBSA says penalties range between 5% and 50% of the money seized. Fortunately for the cruiser in this case, they only had to pay the minimum 5%, or roughly C$1,600, in order to get the cash back.
Officials clarified that the money wasn’t believed to be linked to crime, but the fine was issued to enforce reporting rules.
“Reporting currency is an important part of helping the Government of Canada fight money laundering, organized crime, and terrorist financing,” CBSA spokesperson Luke Reimer said.
For cruise passengers, Saint John is one of 12 ports in Canada where first arrival customs checks take place. Officers process passengers directly on board before they’re allowed to head to shore.
That means even if you don’t plan on disembarking, you still need to clear customs.
So, while passengers may come for the views, the lobster, or the city’s historic Uptown, this case serves as a reminder: paperwork matters just as much as your passport.
If you’re travelling with large amounts of cash, declare it—or risk watching a chunk of it stay behind.
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