A man found with nearly $139,000 in cash while trying to board a flight at Boston Logan International Airport over the weekend walked away from the money after he was questioned by authorities, police said.
The person booked a flight at Logan shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday, missed it and then bought a second plane ticket the same day to a destination known as a “source area for illegal narcotics,” Massachusetts State Police said in a Facebook post. Authorities did not disclose the destination.
As the man tried to go through a security checkpoint, he was questioned about a large sum of cash he was carrying, which the passenger initially claimed was $1,500, according to state police.
He later told troopers the amount was $40,000 to $50,000. Following further questioning from state police detectives, the man said the amount was $80,000 $85,000, authorities said.
“MSP K9 Duke, who is trained to detect the odor of narcotics, showed a strong alert to the man’s belongings,” state police said. “A subsequent final count of the cash the man was carrying was $138,980.”
The money was held by law enforcement pending further investigation. The passenger refused to sign a receipt for the cash, leaving the building and the money behind, according to state police.
The cash will be subject to forfeiture proceedings, authorities noted.