Ivory Coast: Swiss VIP pilot faces questioning over transport of undeclared US$2 million

Swiss pilot David Noel Pérez is due before an investigating judge at Ivory Coast’s Economic and Financial Criminal Division on October 21, 2026. He was arrested at Abidjan airport on August 8 as he prepared to leave with nearly US$2 million in undeclared cash, equivalent to about 1.168 billion CFA francs. Detained on September 5, he is accused of violating regulations governing external financial relations; the origin of the money and the circumstances of his possession of it remain unclear. His aviation career includes flying Gulfstream G550 and Airbus A319 aircraft for Global Jet Luxembourg and a Gulfstream G450 for MTfly.