Japan-bound passenger allegedly concealed $40,000 cash in luggage

Federal agents arrested yesterday a Japan-bound passenger who allegedly carried $40,000 cash in his luggage without declaring the currency at the Saipan International Airport.

Tsunemasa Otsuji was served with an arrest warrant after the Department of Homeland Security filed a criminal complaint charging him with one count of bulk cash smuggling.

DHS Homeland Security Investigations special agent Everette Route stated in an affidavit that on Monday he received a call from supervisory U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Mark Layman about Otsuji, who during a screening process had been flagged with carrying undeclared currency possibly over $10,000.

Otsuji was scheduled to depart from the Francisco C. Palacios-Saipan International Airport last Monday at 4:30pm aboard Delta Airlines flight #297, and fly directly to Narita, Japan.

Route said at 3pm he along with another HSI Task Force officer met with a CBP officer at the Saipan International Airport and was briefed on the outbound currency enforcement operation initiated by CBP officials.

Route said the intent of this operation was to inform passengers on Delta Flight 297, including Otsuji, about the currency reporting laws of the U.S. such as the requirement to report any amount of $10,000 and over when traveling out of or into the U.S.

Route said according to CBPO Trisha Aguon, who was leading the outbound currency enforcement operation, she provided Otsuji along with other passengers on Delta flight 297 declaration forms written in the Japanese language explaining the requirement to declare any amount of currency exceeding $10,000.

A Delta Airlines employee accompanying Aguon also translated in the Japanese language the need for all passengers to read the form carefully and to declare any currency over $10,000.

Aguon stated that at 3:20pm, Otsuji declared $0 currency and signed the declaration form.

At 3:50pm, Otsuji began to board Delta flight 297. After five minutes, he was escorted out of the tarmac by Aguon and escorted to an interview room at the airport.

Otsuji’s checked in golf bag was brought to the interview room by a Transportation Security Administration personnel.

Route said Otsuji consented for Aguon to search his golf bag.

Route said Aguon found eight 100 bundles of $50 bills equaling $5,000 each and totaling $40,000.

The money was wrapped inside tour pamphlets inside the golf bag.

Route said according to Otsuji the money was given to him by a certain Yamaguchi, who allegedly owns a construction and real estate company in Japan.

Route said Otsuji claimed that Yamaguchi asked him to carry the money back to Japan for him.

Otsuji stated that Yamaguchi was also traveling back to Japan on the same flight with him and that he did not know why he did not carry the money himself.

He said Yamaguchi asked him to carry the money and give it back to him when they got to Japan.

Otsuji stated he did not know he had to declare the money on Saipan, but that he would declare the amount in Japan.

Route said asked why he put $0 in the form, Otsuji explained he did not read the form carefully.