Man Caught Hiding Dozens of Canadian Dollars in a Book at Incheon Airport
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
A man in his late 40s was stopped at Incheon Airport Terminal 2 after security found only a single book in his 20-inch carry-on. X-ray operators noticed the book showed a dark orange response (ink density reaction), suggesting hidden contents. A physical inspection revealed a rectangular cavity carved into the book containing dozens of Canadian dollars. Authorities suspected intent to evade currency-declaration rules after a recent public remark about hiding cash in a bookmark. The man had similar concealments across three suitcases; his total undeclared foreign currency exceeded the $10,000 limit, so customs fined him under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. He told investigators the money was for study abroad in Canada. Incheon Airport security said books in checked luggage are now closely inspected due to rising cases of concealment since the airport opened in 2001.
