Yesterday, a male passenger holding a British passport, prior to embarking on a flight bound to Istanbul, presented himself at the Customs Departures Office and submitted to Customs a cash declaration involving €81,220 and £165.

However, on being questioned about the origin and the intended use of the declared funds, the passenger failed to convince the authorities about the legitimacy of the funds.

For this reason, as per Subsidiary Legislation 233.07 of the laws of Malta, the money was retained by Customs and placed in a secured depository pending investigation, while the FIAU, the Police Financial Crimes Unit and other authorities were notified.