Italian Pilot Arrested With R$4.6 Million in Cash in a Plane in Mato Grosso State

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – An Italian pilot, identified as Francesco Turriziani, 61, was arrested on Sunday, July 30th, carrying R$4.6 million (US$1.15 million) cash in suitcases at an airport in the municipality of Alta Floresta, 800 km from Mato Grosso’s state capital Cuiabá.

According to the Civil Police, the seizure was carried out around 1 PM (local time) after the aircraft suffered an electrical malfunction. The money would allegedly be used to buy gold in Itaituba, Pará.

The Cessna 206 T aircraft had left the city of Sorocaba (São Paulo State) and was headed for Itaituba (Pará State). It would make two stops for refueling, one of which in Jataí, in Goiás State, where the aircraft malfunctioned. Authorities reported that on arrival at the scene, they found the Italian boarding a taxi, while on the plane the police found six suitcases containing R$4,679,750 (US$1.169,937) in cash.

The pilot was interviewed and released by the police. In his statement, Turriziani was unable to explain the origin of the money, but later he stated that the sum belongs to a “business partner” and pertains to the sale of an airplane in São Paulo.

According to delegate Vinícius Nazário, the money was seized and deposited in the Mato Grosso court account. So far, the Italian’s version has not been verified. The Civil Police will investigate the case.