Slovak customs officers discover nearly half million dollars hidden in car dashboard at Ukrainian border

Slovak customs officials uncovered a secret compartment containing nearly $500,000 in cash hidden inside a vehicle's dashboard at the border with Ukraine. The driver claimed he was only transporting a few packs of cigarettes, but customs scanners revealed bundles of banknotes concealed within a cavity in the vehicle. The discovery highlights ongoing smuggling activities at Slovakia's eastern border, where authorities have intensified inspections since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. Slovakia shares a 98-kilometer border with Ukraine and has become a key transit point for both legitimate trade and smuggling operations.