At the border, a service dog found nearly 4 million hryvnias in cash on a woman
At the "Uzhhorod–Vyshne Nemetske" border crossing, a woman from Zakarpattia attempted to smuggle approximately 4 million hryvnias in cash across the border. However, during an inspection, she was caught by a service dog that sniffed out the hidden money.
This was reported by the State Customs Service of Ukraine (SCSU).
"When the service dog Balu sniffed her luggage and alerted, the woman became nervous and admitted that she was transporting $100,000 in currency. The cash was found in a backpack among the citizen’s personal belongings. She did not provide the necessary supporting documents for the legal transport of currency across the border," the SCS stated in a message on its Telegram channel.
The agency added that a report was filed regarding this incident under Part 1 of Article 471 of the Customs Code of Ukraine. The equivalent of EUR10,000—$11,700—was returned to her, while the remainder of the undeclared currency, amounting to nearly 4 million UAH at the NBU exchange rate, was seized pending a decision. The penalty under this article provides for a fine of 20% of the amount exceeding the permitted €10,000.
Previously, the agency reported that from January to March 2026, State Border Guard Service canine teams detected 265 cases of illegal cross-border movement of prohibited substances and items, which is 18% more than during the same period last year and 81.5% more compared to 2024.
The largest number of violations involved the illegal cross-border transport of narcotics—110 cases—while the smallest number involved the transport of currency in the form of banknotes, with only three such cases recorded.
A service dog at Zurich Airport sniffed out hashish concealed under floor covering.
As a reminder, a powerful drug ring that manufactured and distributed mephedrone and amphetamine on an industrial scale was exposed and dismantled in Ukraine.
Additionally, the SBU and the National Police dismantled an international drug syndicate.
