Thai woman arrested for money laundering suspicion at airport in Germany

The Central Customs Authority in Germany reported the arrest of a Thai woman at Frankfurt Airport on suspicion of money laundering. The woman is still being questioned by German authorities.

According to a report on the official German Customs Authority website, officers at the Frankfurt Airport security checkpoint detained the Thai woman, aged about 50, on suspicion of money laundering before she boarded a flight to an unnamed Bangkok airport on October 10.

Officers searched her luggage and handbag and discovered two empty purses and later found 101,119 euros (3.9 million baht), hidden inside the lining of the purses.

The woman is suspected of laundering money for an illegal business and remains in police custody for questioning. The reported interrogation has not yet been made public.

According to local law, travellers from outside the country who carry more than 10,000 euros in cash must declare it to officials at the airport. In essence, even if the woman manages to prove her innocence, she would still be charged with violating the money laundering law.

Last year, a Thai TikToker, Starwin “Sung” Narkthongphet, was detained at Singapore’s Changi Airport for failing to declare to the authorities the cash he was carrying.

Sung was carrying cash over the limited amount of 20,000 Singapore dollars, or approximately 500,000 baht, to satisfy a prank with a group of his friends. The prank backfired and he ended up getting into trouble. Fortunately, the authorities understood Sung’s prank story and he was released.

Sung admitted that he did not check the rules before the trip. Some followers found the issue funny, while others slammed Sung’s recklessness.

Thailand also restricts the amount of cash that can be carried on board. Travellers leaving Thailand are not allowed to carry more than 50,000 baht in Thai currency and 20,000 dollars in foreign currency.

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