By late yesterday afternoon, Costa Rica’s Drug Control Police (known as the PCD, in Spanish) had finished counting the cash hidden in a truck attempting to enter into Costa Rica over the northern Peñas Blancas border with Nicaragua.

A whopping US$310,380 was found stacked in 12 neatly wrapped packages, and meticulously placed under the front passenger’s seat in part of the air conditioning system, said the Public Security Ministry.

The driver of the vehicle, a 29-year-old Honduran with the last name Peña and no criminal record, was traveling armed, and has been arrested as a suspect in attempting to smuggle the cash into Costa Rica.

Police agents said the truck was carrying rolls of steel sheeting as its legally declared cargo.

Cash in other assorted Central American currencies was also seized as was a 38-caliber gun with five rounds.

Both the cab and container of the truck are registered with Costa Rican license plates.

In a busy month for cash smuggling, last week border police in Guaycará de Golfito, in the far southern Pacific region of Costa Rica, seized a total of US$23,780 after searching two cars.

The first car was detected at the Guyacará checkpoint when police officers stopped a HiLux that led to the arrest of an Israeli by the last name of Suissa, and his companion, an American named Hascup after US$13,780 in cash of dubious origin was discovered in their car, said the ministry.

And last Wednesday morning, during another routine stop-and-search operation, border police seized another $10,000, this time stuffed in a baby sling worn by a 17-year-old boy who also had 78 thousand Costa Rican colones in cash.

The minor was traveling in a pick-up with his parents, of last names Faerron and Zúñiga, and all are residents of Fray Casiano de Puntarenas. The family said they were heading for Paso Canoas on the Panamanian border.

All suspects in the Golfito arrests were immediately turned over to the Golfito Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation of suspected money laundering activities.