Counterfeit dollars seized in Miami

US customs has intercepted $228,100 in counterfeit banknotes arriving in a package from Peru, one of the main sources of fake US dollars.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers made the seizure at Miami International Airport (MIA) on July 23, having selected the package for an intensive examination and after observing "several densities in an unusual pattern on the X-ray screen."

Once opened, it was discovered the packaged contained various cushions - including some with unusual densities - that concealed the counterfeit US currency.

The bills were of poor quality and were confirmed as counterfeit by the US Secret Service, which is investigating the case.

According to the Secret Service's latest annual report, the agency recovered $58m in counterfeit currency in 2014, whilst also making more than 2,100 arrests and shutting down 188 manufacturing plants.


Image courtesy of Shutterstock / Neirfy