Smuggler Swallows 12 Money-Filled Balloons
A woman was arrested when trying to smuggle money out of the country, including $6,000 in 12 balloons she swallowed, customs agents said Friday.
Customs officials at Kennedy Airport asked Vivien Mensah how much money she was carrying as she awaited a flight to the African nation of Ghana. She said she had $9,000, officials said.
When a search of her bag turned up $24,000 concealed in bed sheets, Mensah admitted that she had swallowed several balloons stuffed with money, customs agents said. It is illegal to take more than $10,000 in cash out of the United States without reporting it.
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