Nearly $15M In Counterfeit Money Seized By Philadelphia Customs

PHILADELPHIA — Federal authorities in Philadelphia seize nearly $15 million in counterfeit money recently.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officers seized the bogus cash in May from four shipments.

Officers seized a combined $14,368,160 in various denominations of counterfeit U.S. currency.

The two most recent seizures occurred on May 26, when officers seized two shipments that each contained $1,804,800 of counterfeit money.

Officers seized $7,795,680 in counterfeit money on May 5 and $2,962,880 in counterfeit money on May 2.

The currency too closely resembled legal U.S. currency.

CBP officers turned the currency over to Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Secret Service special agents in Philadelphia, who coordinated an investigation with Homeland Security Investigations agents and U.S. Secret Service agents in Chicago.

According to the U.S. Secret Service, counterfeiting currency is a lucrative business and is often used to finance illegal activities, including financial fraud, narcotics smuggling, terrorism, and attacks against our nation’s financial systems.

"Law enforcement knows that counterfeit and fictitious bank notes have been used in financial crimes, especially ones that target our nation’s more vulnerable seniors and small business owners," Rene Ortega, CBP’s Acting Area Port Director in Philadelphia, said. "Customs and Border Protection is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat illicit efforts that target our citizens, our businesses, and the security of the United States economic system."