Bolivia jails 19 after people scooped up cash from crashed military plane

The aircraft was carrying a total of 50 million bolivianos (approximately US$7.1 million), and authorities estimated that around 30% of the cargo was stolen at the scene.

A Bolivian judge ordered the pre-trial detention of 19 people accused of taking banknotes scattered after a military Hercules C-130 aircraft skidded off the runway while landing at El Alto international airport, adjacent to La Paz. The suspects will spend four months in prisons in the La Paz department as investigators build the case, according to El Deber.

The crash occurred on February 27 and left 24 people dead and more than 30 injured, while also smashing multiple vehicles on an avenue near the airport, based on local media tallies.

Authorities said the aircraft was transporting 17.1 million banknotes worth 50 million bolivianos (about US$7.1 million) for Bolivia’s central bank, and estimated that roughly 30% of the cash was taken from the scene. “Those banknotes are the ones legally invalidated; they cannot circulate,” Central Bank President David Espinoza said.

In the immediate aftermath, large crowds converged on the crash area and gathered bundles of money, prompting security efforts to clear access for rescue crews. Some of the remaining cash was later burned on site.

The Central Bank also moved to keep the stolen notes from entering the financial system. It initially announced that 10-, 20- and 50-boliviano bills from the “Series B” would lose legal validity, while setting up an exchange process for holders who obtained them lawfully. The bank said the specific batch carried on the aircraft was identified and numbered, warning that attempts to circulate those notes could trigger legal penalties.

The measures, however, sparked uncertainty in everyday transactions. Infobae reported long lines at central bank offices in La Paz and a broader refusal to accept those denominations by some merchants and public transport drivers. “Imagine waiting to check the code person by person; it will cause traffic jams, maybe an accident, and obviously it can cause harm,” Limbert Tancara, a leader of La Paz’s “Transporte Libre,” said.