From today's Sydney Morning Herald, adding it because people go there:

Malayasian airports to install money detectors

February 2, 2012 - 10:36AM

Malaysia is installing scanners to detect bank notes at airports and border crossings to curb illegal money outflows believed to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars over the past decade.

The move comes after Washington-based watchdog group Global Financial Integrity said in a recent report that Malaysia lost $US338 billion between 2000 and 2009 to such outflows, ranking it fifth in the world.

The Star daily quoted customs deputy director-general Zainul Abidin Taib as saying seven such scanners were already operating at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the rest would be installed by the end of the year.

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A customs official confirmed the report.

Prime Minister Najib Razak announced in December a special task force to check the illegal flight of funds.

He has come under fire from the political opposition which accuses his government of massive corruption, incompetence and inefficiency that is costing the country dearly.

Global Financial Integrity said Malaysia was fifth behind China, Mexico, Russia, and Saudi Arabia in illicit outflows.

Its report did not specify the causes of the Malaysian outflows but a earlier report by the group said possible causes were corrupt business practices and the large population of about 2 million illegal foreign workers in the country.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/malayasian-airports-to-install-money-detectors-20120202-1qu8u.html#ixzz1lC8cyGc1 (not actually more, just the same thing)

What kind of scanner can detect banknotes? I know dogs can be trained to sniff out large piles of currency, but this article suggests some new-fangled piece of tech is being installed.

Why not just enact policies that would make people want to keep their money there instead?

Why not just enact policies that would make people want to keep their money there instead?

We don't know why the money is leaving the country. It could be for illegal ends, drug purchases and such. If so, your solution would mean legalizing drugs (just to throw up one possibility).

Edited February 2, 201214 yr by attrayant

Why not just enact policies that would make people want to keep their money there instead?

We don't know why the money is leaving the country. It could be for illegal ends, drug purchases and such. If so, your solution would mean legalizing drugs (just to throw up one possibility).

Although I don't think it matters why the money is leaving the country, I happen to be in favor of the legalization of drugs. I don't see how the buying and selling of anything between consenting adults can be considered a crime. That being said, crimes committed under the influence of drugs, or, say, in the pursuit of drugs, should be punished.

Yes, it would be an interesting machine. Unless it's a new spin on the x-ray machines.

Yes, it would be an interesting machine. Unless it's a new spin on the x-ray machines.

No just a big box with a lady from Pattaya inside. They can detect money anywhere.,

Lots of currencies have these metallic bands or threads through/on them. 'Can't be rocket science to devise a machine than can detect that. Possibly chemicals in the inks or the paper as well.

Lots of currencies have these metallic bands or threads through/on them. 'Can't be rocket science to devise a machine than can detect that. Possibly chemicals in the inks or the paper as well.

That's a mylar strip, and there's not enough of it (even in a large stack of bills) to trigger a metal detector. But even if it was enough, the question remains: how does the mystery machine know the difference between a few micrograms of Mylar and all the other little bits of metal in your bag?