In certain countries such as the USA you have to declare if you travel
with larger amounts of money. In other countries, you don't have to
declare it at all. Now the interesting question is if X-Ray machines
on Airport see large amounts of cash? Say a pack with 500 US$ 100
bills or EUR 100 bills?

While it may be perfectly legal to carry such an amount of money (US$
50,000) to a country like Japan, it may still cause problems at
customs offices where the traveler has to explain where the money is
from and where it will go to, I can see myself already speaking to
customs officers and police with such a large amount of cash in my
pockets if I would get "caught".

Hi cartoonlover,

Airport x-ray machines do detect large amounts of cash. The following
are excerpts from various reports and articles to verify this.

"Among those who received some of the $24 million paid out of the
Asset Forfeiture Fund last year, the Press reported, were airline
counter clerks who report passengers who paid for their tickets in
cash or otherwise acted "suspiciously"; operators of X- ray machines
who report large amounts of money in baggage; and some package
handlers who, according to police affidavits and court documents, open
"suspicious" packages and alert police to what they find..."

Sumeria: Texas Observer
http://www.sumeria.net/politics/texas.html

=======================================

"Operators of X-ray machines watch for "suspicious" shadows and not only
for outlines of weapons, which is what signs at checkpoints say they're
scanning. They look for money, "suspicious" amounts that can be called to the
attention of law enforcement and maybe net a reward for the operator."

Totse: The Law's Victims in the War on Drugs
http://www.totse.com/en/drugs/legal_issues_of_drug_use/presumed.html

=======================================

Courtesy of The Sunday Times
"...The new dogs should be capable of sniffing out currency even
though criminals have tried to camouflage the smell. They will be
taught to sound the alert only when they detect large amounts of cash.

Smullen said clingfilm is not good at holding in scents and, contrary
to underworld lore, carbon paper does not hide drugs or cash from
x-ray machines either..."

Google"s cache of http://forum.emergencyvehicles.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=858&view=old

=======================================

"...Incidentally, cash bundles do show up on those airport X-ray
machines. Custom officials of the country you are leaving will often
seize large amounts of cash (over $30,000) if you can't prove it was
legally obtained, ie tax paid money..."

Expat World: The Passport World
http://www.expatworld.net/downloads/PRsample.pdf

=======================================
=======================================

Search criteria:
"X-Ray machines" airport  "large amounts of cash"
"X-Ray machines" airport  cash detect


I hope the information provided is helpful. If you have any questions
regarding my answer please don?t hesitate to ask before rating it.

Best regards,
Rainbow

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Request for Answer Clarification by cartoonlover-ga on 27 Jul 2005 17:14 PDT

Hello Rainbow, thanks for your answer. All these stories have no real
proof and are more like reports from something that was said or heard
somewhere, I would like to have a proof that large amounts of cash can
really be seen or at least some sort of source that is trustworthy.

---

Clarification of Answer by rainbow-ga on 28 Jul 2005 03:58 PDT

Thank you for your clarification. 

After further research, I was only able to locate the following
information from an authoritative source:

"Recently, the number of outbound currency seizures has decreased from
fiscal year to fiscal year. Several reasons for this occurrence come
into play.The primary reason for the drop is suspected to be the
presence of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners
at the airports. It is believed that because of the presence of theTSA
screeners, passengers are no longer carrying large amounts of currency
on their bodies or in their hand-carried luggage. Another reason is
believed to be the elevated threat level, as this causes travelers to
be scrutinized more closely."

U.S. Customs & Border Protection 
http://www.customs.gov/linkhandler/cgov/toolbox/publications/admin/cbp_annual.ctt/cbp_annual.pdf

If you find the above information provides clarification to your
question, let me know. Otherwise, I will ask the editors to remove my
answer.

Best regards,
Rainbow

Every (non-invasive) detection methods has some limits,
and those limits and techniques and methods of marking bills
are always available for public release.

There are other methods thne X-rays these days and there is always an element
of chance. Here are some data published by Homeland Security Research Corp.
http://www.mindbranch.com/listing/product/R455-0019.html

Correcting a typo:
are always available for public release.
should have been
are NOT always available for public release.
or perhaps even 
are NOT available to public.