Hamid Karzai International Airport: Despite Improvements, Controls to Detect Cash Smuggling Still Need Strengthening
Abstract
In 2011, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funded and installed cash counting machines in the airport to record the serial numbers of currency leaving the country in an overall effort of preventing illegal cash flow out of the airport. The machines are capable of counting up to 900 bills a minute and can scan, record, and transmit the serial numbers of U.S. dollars (USD), euros (EUR), and Saudi riyals (SAR) via the Internet to Afghan law enforcement and its international partners. A year after installation of the machines, SIGAR conducted a review and found that Afghan customs officials rarely used the machines and stored them in a side room that lacked appropriate security. Furthermore, the machines were never connected to the Internet, making it impossible to record and send serial number data to the Afghan authorities. Additionally, senior Afghan government officials and people with political influence were exempted from key parts of the customs process aimed at detecting and preventing cash smuggling. This report is a follow-up to that review.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1147604
Entities
People
- John Sopko
Organizations
- Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction