A man heading to Sicily by ferry was arrested after Customs officials caught him with tens of thousands of euro in undeclared cash. 

The passenger, who is a Serbian national, told Customs officials at the seaport terminal that he had no money to declare. 

Officials found that he was carrying €7,740 in cash on his person and an additional €28,300 hidden inside a backpack. 

According to cash control rules, passengers can carry a maximum of €10,000 into or out of Malta without declaring it. 

Following the discovery, the man was arrested by the police and allowed to retain €10,000 of the money. The excess cash was confiscated and placed in a safety deposit box, pending prosecution.  In a separate case, a Customs canine, Gypsy, caught a passenger at Malta International Airport with a marginal amount over the legal limit. The Burmese passenger, who was en route to Istanbul, was found to be carrying US$12,475 -  the equivalent of €10,640 – as well as €270. 

The man was offered an out-of-court settlement, which he agreed to.