At a London airport, security staff noticed a man whose luggage, during scanning, revealed dense stacks resembling banknotes. A manual inspection revealed that the suitcase contained imitation banknotes with a total nominal value exceeding one million pounds sterling.
As the suitcase’s owner explained, he is a professional illusionist and is transporting props for his new show. The high-quality imitation banknotes, which have clear distinctions from genuine currency, are used as a visual element in large-scale magic tricks. The man provided a performance contract and documents confirming the purchase of the props from a specialized company.
Police and customs officers, assessing the situation, quickly established that the items in question had no real monetary value and posed no threat. After a brief conversation during which the documents were checked, the man was released without detention to continue his journey. The incident was resolved as a routine matter.
Such cases, while infrequent, occur periodically at international airports. Experts note that while transporting props that imitate valuables is legal, it can lead to additional checks. This is a standard precautionary measure aimed at ruling out any possible offenses.
The incident did not lead to any consequences for the passenger. Airport representatives emphasized that the services acted strictly in accordance with security protocols. The man, who did not become the subject of any case, left the terminal without issue, and his props were packed and proceeded further as regular luggage.
