Customs Department officers discovered more than €200,000 in undeclared cash packed in a checked-in piece of luggage at Malta International airport on Monday.

The unprecedented case unfolded when the officials selected a passenger, holding a Maltese passport and residing in Manchester, as he was about to board his flight to Istanbul, a statement said.

The passenger was taken to the Customs Office in the Departures lounge, and following a thorough personal search, and a subsequent search on his belongings, bundles of undeclared cash were discovered in his already checked-in luggage which was offloaded from the plane.

The total sum elevated was €200,192, of which €10,000 were returned to the passenger and the rest seized by Customs.

The Police Anti-Money Laundering Squad was alerted and the passenger was placed under arrest. He is to be arraigned in court later today.

With this case, the past two months have tallied over a quarter million euros of undeclared cash being seized by Customs.