A 48-year-old Cuban passenger was arrested this weekend at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama after customs inspectors discovered $135,300 hidden in double compartments inside two backpacks.
The man, who was traveling from Havana and also carried an Ecuadorian passport, had initially declared that he was only carrying five thousand, customs authorities reported on his Facebook profile.
The discovery occurred at Terminal 2 when the traveler's nervous behavior and the unusual weight of the luggage raised suspicions. According to reports from Panamanian media such as Mi Diario and Radio Panamá, when the backpacks were scanned, officials observed an unusual image, typical of dense materials. Upon opening them, they found hidden compartments filled with tightly packed bundles of cash.
The money was immediately seized, and the case was handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office, as mandated by Panamanian law. The National Customs Authority reminded that anyone entering the country with more than 10,000 balboas—or its equivalent in dollars—is required to declare it, regardless of its source or purpose.
This is not an isolated incident. Only this year, Panama has reported multiple similar events involving travelers from Cuba.
In June, a Cuban woman was caught with $10,406 in undeclared cash at the Panama Pacific airport after repeatedly changing her story during the inspection.
In August, a 26-year-old man was detained at the same airport with 12 thousand dollars hidden, also coming from Havana. And in September, another Cuban passenger attempted to enter the country with more than 15 thousand dollars hidden in a planner.
Panamanian authorities have warned that these cases have raised alarms about the irregular inflow of cash from the island, in a regional context of increasing controls to prevent money laundering and other financial crimes.
Customs insists that failing to declare large amounts of cash can result not only in the seizure of the money but also in lengthy and expensive legal proceedings.
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