Authorities have launched an investigation into how two women managed to smuggle more than US$2 million in cash out of the Dominican Republic, concealed in a suitcase aboard a commercial flight from Las Américas International Airport to Ecuador, with a stopover in Panama. The women were able to evade controls at the Santo Domingo and Panama airports. They are now investigated for money laundering.
María Verónica Montenegro Vacas and Martha Alejandra Montenegro Vacas were detained on Thursday, 21 November 2024 upon arriving at Quito’s airport after the flight, which originated in the Dominican Republic. The women managed to bypass security protocols at Las Americas International Airport, where the amount of money—US$2.1 million—was hidden in bundles of $100 bills sealed inside a bag.
According to officials, the cash had been withdrawn from a bank in the Dominican Republic just two days before the women boarded the flight to Ecuador. A date-stamped receipt found with one of the bundles showed it was issued on 19 November 2024.
In Ecuador, Police Commander Victor Hugo Zarate confirmed that the women’s detention coincided with a major intelligence operation that led to the dismantling of a network allegedly involved in money laundering. The detained women are suspected to be linked to the operation.
Zarate added that the seized money could be connected to illicit activities. The investigation suggests that the criminal network may have included Ecuadorian nationals, including public officials, who manipulated customs and security protocols to facilitate the movement of illegal funds.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has suggested that the money could be linked to financing planned protests in Quito to destabilize his government.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
Primicias
La Republica
25 November 2024