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Two Cuban women from Havana were detained at Tocumen International Airport, Panama, with 50 thousand dollars undeclared.
Cuban women who claimed not to carry more than 10,000 dollars were found to be carrying 25,000 each after a body search, reported Customs Panama.
The Cuban women, one aged 25 and the other 58, claimed not to know each other, even though they were on the same flight and headed to the same destination, the information specifies.
After being detained by inspectors from the National Customs Authority, they were handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office for the necessary investigations, they conclude.
This is not an isolated incident. Just this year, Panama has reported multiple similar incidents involving travelers from Cuba.
Last weekend, at the same airport, a Cuban passenger, 48 years old, was detained after customs inspectors discovered 135,300 dollars hidden in double compartments within two backpacks.
The man, who was traveling from Havana and also carried an Ecuadorian passport, had initially stated that he was only carrying five thousand.
In June, a Cuban woman was caught with $10,406 in undeclared cash at 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 concealed in a planner.
Panamanian authorities have warned that these cases have raised alarms about the irregular influx of cash from the island, amidst a regional context of increasing controls to prevent money laundering and other financial crimes.
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