BURKE — The Swanton Border Patrol Sector awarded both the New York State Police and Franklin County District Attorney’s Office with disbursement checks totaling $106,512.80, each, Thursday, with the funds originating from an asset forfeiture following a bulk currency seizure in 2020.

On March 23, 2020, Border Patrol agents received information about a suspicious vehicle involved in illicit cross-border smuggling, according to a press release from Steve Sapp, of the public affairs office for the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector.

According to the press release, the vehicle involved in the illicit incident of cross-border smuggling was located, and a traffic stop was initiated by state troopers in Chateaugay.

Further investigation led to the discovery of $267,162 within the vehicle, according to the press release, which states the vehicle’s driver denied ownership of the currency and abandoned claims to it.

This abandonment resulted in Border Patrol initiating an asset sharing case with the U.S. Treasury Forfeiture Fund on behalf of the state police, according to the press release, which states on March 29, 2021, Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector was notified that most of the seized currency was approved to be split between state police and the Franklin County District Attorney’s Office.

During a ceremony on Thursday, Acting Patrol Agent in Charge John Brown, of the Burke Border Patrol Station on Route 11 in Malone, presented the forfeiture checks to State Police Capitan Brent Davison and Franklin County District Attorney Craig Carriero.

“This is yet another example of outstanding cooperation between the State of New York law enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol in keeping our communities safe,” Brown said, in the press release.