The Bolivian government has launched a large-scale operation to collect and destroy new national currency that scattered over a densely populated city after an Air Force cargo plane crashed. While rescuers searched for victims among the wreckage, special forces were forced to urgently burn banknotes directly at the crash site to prevent them from entering illegal circulation. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
The appearance of a huge amount of cash, which literally "fell from the sky," caused chaos in the city and led to clashes with law enforcement. According to Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Hernán Paredes, at the peak of the unrest, about 20,000 people tried to break through the cordon to collect the banknotes, despite the danger of explosions and fire.
Military plane carrying cash crashes in Bolivia – at least 15 dead28.02.26, 06:33
Police and military used special means to disperse the crowd and have already detained 49 people suspected of looting and involvement in vandalism at the crash site.
Security measures and cancellation of lost funds
Currently, the El Alto airport area is under increased security, but isolated groups of people continued to search for banknotes even the morning after the incident.
The country's Central Bank officially confirmed that all banknotes from this flight have no legal force, but the authorities fear that they could be used by fraudsters to destabilize the financial market. Investigative teams continue to work in the crash zone, simultaneously collecting the remains of the damaged cargo for their final disposal under strict state control.
Death toll from cash plane crash in Bolivia rises to 2028.02.26, 18:12