Customs anti-money laundering officials together with the canine unit discovered €35,800 in the hand luggage of a passenger departing to Frankfurt.

The passenger said when asked he had nothing to declare but officer K9 Charlie, the sniffer dog, was not convinced.

The dog’s persistence led to a physical search of the passenger’s belongings and the money, including a cheque for more than €12,000, was found. The police took the passenger into custody and he expected to be arraigned in court in the coming days.

Passengers are obliged to declare any amount of cash including cheques and bank drafts which amount to €10,000 or more when arriving, departing or transiting through Malta. 

Similar laws apply to most countries around the world.