Colombia police have arrested two men trying to enter the country with $140,000 stashed in their stomachs, reported local media Tuesday.
According to authorities, the two men travelled from Honduras to Panama, where they allegedly loaded their bodies with 116 capsules between the two, each filled with $100 bills. The suspects then flew to Palonegro International Airport, in the north-eastern Colombian province of Santander, where police alleged they attempted to transfer drug money to a criminal gang.
Following the arrests, police took the pair to a nearby hospital, where they discharged 60 latex capsules from one and 56 from the other.
With the investigation just underway, police have yet to confirm further details of the case, such as how much each mule was due to be paid, if at all, and which organization(s) they were working with.
In the past, Colombian mules were typically used only to carry cocaine or heroin, yet this latest incident may be further evidence of an innovative money laundering technique employed by the region’s narco-traffickers.
On September 14, a similar incident occurred when two men were caught at Medellin’s international airport with $80,000 hidden in stomachs.