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Sniffing Out Billions In US Currency Smuggled Across the Border To Mexico
An anonymous reader writes "Criminals smuggle an estimated $30 billion in U.S. currency into Mexico each year from the United States, most of it laundered drug money. But researchers say help is on the way for border guards in the form of a portable device that identifies specific vapors given off by U.S. paper money. "We're developing a device that mimics the function of trained dogs 'sniffing' out concealed money, but without the drawbacks, such as expensive training, sophisticated operators, down time and communication limitations," says Suiqiong Li, Ph.D., a member of the research team behind the technology. When developing the device, the researchers first had to figure out which gases money emits and how fast that happens. It turned out that the gases are a set of trace chemicals, including aldehydes, furans and organic acids." What do bitcoins smell like?
https://www.google.com/search?&q=banks+helping+drug+cartels
I'm far more concerned, whether the smell of my honestly-earned money is any different from that of the laundered drug proceeds. I suspect, the smell is exactly the same and, should I ever choose to cross the border with substantial cash, these devices will point me out. A major loophole in American (and English) legal system, allows seizure of "suspect" assets even if the person himself can not be arrested.
Now, why would an honest citizen need to carry his cash with him?.. Oh, well...
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
There's no limit on how much cash you can carry across the border - you just need to declare it if you have over $10k.
The real solution, of course, is to legalize marijuana nationally, thus drying up demand for the cartels main cash crop.
But oh, we can't do that, because it would put so many DEA agents and overpaid government contractors out of work!
So, they come up with not-even-half-assed solutions that sound good in a press release, and end up being nothing more than yet another tool of citizen subjugation over the long run.
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
The drug cartels started using prepaid cards that you can put $10,000 on. A wallet can hold $100,000 and not draw any attention.
Knowledge = Power
P= W/t
t=Money
Money = Work/Knowledge so the less you know the more you make