Nearly EUR 700,000 disappears from Bucharest airport customs office

Romania’s Customs Authority (AVR) said that it notified the police and launched an internal investigation after nearly EUR 700,000 disappeared from a customs office at Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport (Otopeni). The money had been seized from a passenger arriving from Dubai in January 2026.

Customs officers retained the cash during an inspection on January 9 and placed it in a storage area at the Otopeni Airport Border Customs Office while its legal status was being clarified, according to the official statement.

The officials were required to follow several procedures when taking possession of the money, including preparing a cash inventory and recording the serial numbers of the banknotes.

The disappearance was discovered after prosecutors closed the related case and authorities began the process of returning the money.

“When the bag in which the money was being kept was checked, it was found to contain only one banknote and sheets of paper,” AVR said.

According to the Customs Authority, the storage room does not have video surveillance, although the corridor providing access to it is monitored.

The police are now investigating how the money disappeared. The Customs Authority’s internal inquiry is examining whether procedures governing the seizure, registration, and storage of property were followed, as well as the responsibilities of employees who had access to the room.