The nation's sniffer dogs appear to have delivered with the number of overseas travellers arrested for taking undeclared money across Australian borders on track to quadruple in two years.
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And it's those leaving Australia who have led the law breaking, with the number of outbound travellers hiding money in the last six months tripling the equivalent full-year figure for 2013.
The Australian Federal Police figures showed there were 316 people arrested for failing to report currency of $10,000 or more, or a foreign equivalent, last year, up from 150 the year before.
Another 288 people have been arrested for the offences to June 4 as police gave their highly-trained canine colleagues – now in higher numbers than in 2013 – a pat on the back.
"A sizeable number of undeclared currency detections over the past three years can be attributed to the AFP's deployment of drug and currency detection dog units at all airports where the AFP is present," a spokesman said.
"These units are invaluable in scanning large numbers of both domestic and international travellers with minimal disruption."
There were 17 currency and drug detection dogs nationally who were rotated through domestic and international airports, he said.
University of Canberra Law School associate professor Bruce Arnold said possible reasons included more efficient and better resourced policing or more criminals.
"Some people will be doing it because they're idiots, some people will be using cash, other than in conventional ways, because they're crooks," he said.
"The numbers go up and down, that is established and we see that overseas."
The growth in arrests far outstripped the rise in the combined arrival and departure movements across Australian borders, which numbered 33.3 million last year, up 5.7 per cent from 2013.
Adelaide holds the dubious distinction of the largest failed undisclosed money entry and exits, with a passenger caught trying to bring in $3.5 million in 1998. Two years later someone unsuccessfully tried to depart the city with $1.94 million.
No limit applies to the amount of currency which can be taken, mailed or shipped in or out of Australia, provided the necessary disclosure was made to customs authorities or police.
Penalties can include imprisonment and a fine.
AUSTRAC's terrorism financing report published last year said the number of Australians travelling to fight alongside terrorist groups in Syria increased the risk of cash being carried out of Australia.
Mr Arnold, now researching money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, said cross-border physical currency movements were "almost certainly not" the front line of funding for terrorists, who had a range of other sources.
