Portuguese police arrested a foreign national on Sunday after he arrived from military-run Guinea-Bissau, suspecting large-scale smuggling and money laundering. Officers intercepted the passenger at Lisbon’s Figo Maduro military airport following an anonymous tip received before the flight landed.
Police said they discovered nearly five million euros in cash hidden inside the suspect’s luggage during an early-morning search. Local media reported the detainee was a close ally of Guinea-Bissau’s deposed president, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who was ousted in a coup.
Public broadcaster RTP identified the suspect as businessman Tito Gomes Fernandes, a well-known figure in Guinea-Bissau’s political circles. Embalo’s wife, Dinisia Reis Embalo, was also aboard the flight but was not detained, according to Portuguese media reports.
Authorities said the aircraft was initially registered as a military flight bound for Beja, but its true destination differed. Police added that the suspect will appear before a judge for an initial hearing to determine coercive legal measures.
Guinea-Bissau’s military seized power one day before provisional election results were due, leaving the country’s political future uncertain. Observers and opposition figures have suggested Embalo may have orchestrated the coup to block an election he was losing.
The former president fled to Senegal and later Congo-Brazzaville following his removal from office. His overthrow deepened Guinea-Bissau’s long history of coups and failed takeovers since independence from Portugal in 1974.