Fri, Apr 3, 2015

A Lebanese expatriate was arrested at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport for carrying SR78,000 and $8,000 in undeclared money in what authorities are saying was a money laundering bid.

The expatriate exceeded the maximum SR60,000 that passengers are allowed to carry in undeclared cash or jewelry. Jeddah Penal Court reviewed the case of the Lebanese resident who was caught by the Customs Control at the airport for carrying the undeclared sum of money. A source reported the man was arrested by Customs Control and they forwarded his case to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution.

“The court suspects the man is involved in money laundering as undeclared money falls under the anti-money laundering law. The man claimed his friend gave him the money and asked him to deliver it to his brother in Lebanon,” said the source.

The source also said police interrogated the friend and found out that he has been working as a volunteer for a body of the Muslim World League known as the Holy Qur'an Memorization International Organization for the past five years.

“The friend said his brother is the treasurer of the organization in Lebanon and he needed to send the money to him somehow. The court eventually decided on seizing the money as the Lebanese resident had not declared it when he was traveling,” said the source.

A former member of the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution, Saleh Al-Ghamdi, said the Saudi Customs Control has strict penalties against undeclared money or jewelry of expensive minerals such as gold.

“If a traveler has more than SR60,000 and does not declare it to the Customs Control, he is in breach of several national laws whether he was aware of these laws or not. The law applies to aerial, land and naval customs control,” said Al-Ghamdi.