Customs said on Friday they had discovered €161,520 in cash in a suitcase belonging to a passenger travelling from Brussels to Paphos airport late on Thursday.

Cash amounts exceeding €10,000 are supposed to be declared to customs officers.

The undeclared cash was found separated into white envelopes each containing different amounts, the customs department said.

The suspect, of Arab origin with Belgian citizenship, was arrested and the money confiscated pending further investigation in cooperation with police, specifically for the possibility of a connection with illegal activities.