BRENDAN O'CARROL

I was at the airport, all set to leave the country, and had a cashier’s cheque for $50,000 CAD with me. I didn’t think much of it—I wasn’t carrying cash, just a cheque, so I assumed I didn’t need to declare anything. When I got to customs, they asked if I was carrying more than $10,000 in cash or monetary instruments. I said no, thinking the cheque didn’t count. But during screening, they found the cheque in my bag and immediately pulled me aside. Apparently, a cashier’s cheque is considered a monetary instrument, and anything over $10,000 has to be declared before traveling. Since I hadn’t done that, they seized the cheque on the spot. They told me it could fall under suspicion of money laundering or tax evasion, and I was held for questioning for hours. It was humiliating and stressful—I wasn’t even allowed to board my flight. I had no idea I could get into that kind of trouble for not declaring a cheque. Now I’m stuck dealing with legal follow-ups, and the money is tied up indefinitely.