Mother and Teen Daughter Caught Smuggling Money!

[Coito ergo sum]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/ ... bid-678921

So, mother and daughter smuggle money in their bras. Arrested. Government takes money.

LOL. Their crime -- "not declaring" the money while traveling.

This sort of thing has pissed me off for many years now. The same thing goes on here in the US, so it's not a slam on Canada per se (this incident occurred in Canada), but I always thought it was a bit un-American to have to "declare" your money to the government just because you're getting on a plane.

It's our fucking money. If I want to travel with it in a suitcase, the government can go kiss my ass. IMO.

This is just a way for them to prosecute people without actually having the goods on anyone. What crime did these two women commit apart from "having money and not telling the government about it?" None that they know of.

IMO, these laws ought to be eliminated.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

They were aware what they were doing was illegal or they would have declared the money. What's the problem?

[Coito ergo sum]

They were aware what they were doing was illegal or they would have declared the money. What's the problem?

The problem is the law itself.

it's legal to have cash.

it's legal to have $60,000 in cash.

Having $60,000 in cash is not evidence of a crime. It's evidence of having cash.

It's none of the government's business that a person chooses to carry cash instead of checkbooks. Maybe they don't trust banks?

When the government asks you to "Declare" something they are asking you to make a statement that can and will be held against you in a court of law. One ought to have the right to remain silent. One ought never have to answer the government's questions if one does not want to, unless the government is stopping you on reasonable suspicion or some such equivalent standard. IMO.

Saying "oh, you're getting on a plane? Tell me... what haz it gotz in its pocketses?????" is a rather impertinent question for a government to make. Search me if you want, but don't ask me to incriminate myself. And, if you search me and find that I have $60,000 in legal tender on my person, then I ought not be arrested.

Yes, they broke the law and they knew it. So, they should be prosecuted. My problem is that it's a highly intrusive law which makes no sense. It's a dumb law. It's an un-American and I daresay an un-Canadian law.

[Azathoth]

A Canadian mother and her teenage daughter were found to have nearly $60,000 stuffed in their bras
......
She claimed to have retrieved the currency from her bank safety deposit box, adding that her primary sources of income are her “disability checks and her paper route.”

Seriously? Nothing ropy about that money at all. Nope

[Coito ergo sum]

A Canadian mother and her teenage daughter were found to have nearly $60,000 stuffed in their bras
......
She claimed to have retrieved the currency from her bank safety deposit box, adding that her primary sources of income are her “disability checks and her paper route.”

Seriously? Nothing ropy about that money at all. Nope

There may be.

However, isn't it pretty standard that the government go find out what's ropey about it before they seize it from you? I mean, if she engaged in prostitution or drug smuggling or something, then arrest her and seize the ill-gotten booty. But, here, the sum total of the crime charged is:

We asked you what you had in your pockets.
You said you only had $3300.
You really had $60,000.
Thanks, we'll just be taking that off you're hands now, thank you.
And, you're under arrest.

They don't even have to find out what's ropey about the money. Nice and easy peasey for the cops, but fuck -- what's with criminalizing traveling with money and not wanting to tell the cops you have it?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

They were aware what they were doing was illegal or they would have declared the money. What's the problem?

The problem is the law itself.

it's legal to have cash.

it's legal to have $60,000 in cash.

Having $60,000 in cash is not evidence of a crime. It's evidence of having cash.

It's none of the government's business that a person chooses to carry cash instead of checkbooks. Maybe they don't trust banks?

When the government asks you to "Declare" something they are asking you to make a statement that can and will be held against you in a court of law. One ought to have the right to remain silent. One ought never have to answer the government's questions if one does not want to, unless the government is stopping you on reasonable suspicion or some such equivalent standard. IMO.

Saying "oh, you're getting on a plane? Tell me... what haz it gotz in its pocketses?????" is a rather impertinent question for a government to make. Search me if you want, but don't ask me to incriminate myself. And, if you search me and find that I have $60,000 in legal tender on my person, then I ought not be arrested.

Yes, they broke the law and they knew it. So, they should be prosecuted. My problem is that it's a highly intrusive law which makes no sense. It's a dumb law. It's an un-American and I daresay an un-Canadian law.

Smugglers must love you.

[Coito ergo sum]

Money smugglers.

I'm smuggling currency right now. I have it carefully hidden in my wallet and in my pants pocket.

I'm taking cash to buy a motorcycle from a guy, $5k. I hope the cops don't ask me if I have any money. If I don't tell them the truth they'll take it.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Money smugglers.

I'm smuggling currency right now. I have it carefully hidden in my wallet and in my pants pocket.

I'm taking cash to buy a motorcycle from a guy, $5k. I hope the cops don't ask me if I have any money. If I don't tell them the truth they'll take it.

You are straining at gnats and swallowing camels, dude. Will you ever get to the point where you notice you have nothing further to say on a topic? And will that ever cause you to not post anyway?

[Coito ergo sum]

Money smugglers.

I'm smuggling currency right now. I have it carefully hidden in my wallet and in my pants pocket.

I'm taking cash to buy a motorcycle from a guy, $5k. I hope the cops don't ask me if I have any money. If I don't tell them the truth they'll take it.

You are straining at gnats and swallowing camels, dude. Will you ever get to the point where you notice you have nothing further to say on a topic? And will that ever cause you to not post anyway?

It's a new topic.
And, you keep posting here. If topics or continued discussions/postings are distasteful to you, why don't you just post in other threads? Your non-substantive carping and sniping probably fit in better with other topics anyway.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Money smugglers.

I'm smuggling currency right now. I have it carefully hidden in my wallet and in my pants pocket.

I'm taking cash to buy a motorcycle from a guy, $5k. I hope the cops don't ask me if I have any money. If I don't tell them the truth they'll take it.

You are straining at gnats and swallowing camels, dude. Will you ever get to the point where you notice you have nothing further to say on a topic? And will that ever cause you to not post anyway?

It's a new topic.
And, you keep posting here. If topics or continued discussions/postings are distasteful to you, why don't you just post in other threads? Your non-substantive carping and sniping probably fit in better with other topics anyway.

While your hyperloquacity is just using up priceless pixels.

[Coito ergo sum]

Scans thread for lengthy post. Finds none.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Scans thread for lengthy post. Finds none.

Yep, and fat people don't think they're fat.

[Coito ergo sum]

[Gawdzilla Sama]

So, you're proud of being a douche? Bravo for you. Embrace it, man, embrace it!

[Warren Dew]

"El Asmar"? Sounds like the search was a fishing expedition based on ethnicity.

El-Asmar told agents that she “concealed the money for safety” and only declared $3300 at the border crossing because she did not want her boyfriend to know she was so flush.

This seems a reasonable reason to me. For that matter, one might be worried about corrupt customs agents and not with to declare cash to them for that reason.