Cash in several currencies and silver jewellery were seized in a pilot operation in Southeast Europe, as Frontex and the World Customs Organization (WCO) joined forces against a lesser-known form of smuggling, the movement of cash and valuables across borders.
From 20 to 24 July 2026, Frontex and the WCO organised the Balkans Action Days, a pilot operation targeting the smuggling of undeclared cash and other valuables. Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia took part.
The operation led to the detection of:
EUR 221 770 in cash
USD 20 000
TRY 100 000
2.02 kg of silver jewellery
Frontex Standing Corps officers supported the national authorities on the ground, helping with searches of passenger baggage. The Balkans Action Days show how Frontex works across the full range of cross-border crime at the external borders, well beyond the areas it is usually known for. By teaming up with the WCO, Frontex brings border expertise alongside customs know-how and helps partners in the region detect and stop undeclared cash and valuables at the border, before it disappears into the financial system.
Even as people across the EU use less cash from day to day, the smuggling of cash and valuables has held steady for the past ten years. Cash stays attractive to criminals because it is anonymous and easy to carry. It is the payment method of choice behind much of the trade in drugs and illicit cigarettes. It also helps fund trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling.
Southeast Europe sees some of the highest detections of undeclared cash.
Only months ago, officers from the Serbian Border Police, Serbian Customs and Frontex intercepted more than EUR 374 000 at the Gradina crossing on the Serbia-Bulgaria border, hidden inside a jacket fitted with handmade compartments.
Undeclared cash also surfaces regularly in wider Frontex-led operations. During the Joint Action Days Pirates 3 in October 2025, officers detected more than EUR 1.1 million in undeclared cash alongside other seizures.
