BELIZE CITY, Tues. Jan. 5, 2016–August Henry Tabony, popularly known as “Gus,” a well-connected American businessman who operates in several Central American countries, including Belize, is reportedly under investigation in neighboring Honduras after he was allegedly detained there today with a stash of cash at the country’s international airport in the Bay Islands.

Multiple news sources in Honduras reported that Tabony, 65, was detained at the Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport, of Roatán, Islas de la Bahía on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 with US dollars in various denominations which together exceed the US$10,000 limit beyond which which travelers are required to file a declaration with the relevant local authorities.

At the time of his detention, Tabony was traveling with a Belizean passport, P0291601, the reports said.

According to La Prensa, Tabony was detained in the area of the airport where departure flights are inspected and he was taken into custody by police investigators there.

It is alleged that the businessman, who also does business in El Salvador and Honduras, was carrying sixty-nine $100 bills, seventeen $10 bills, thirty-four $50 bills and three hundred eighty-six $20 bills, with a total value of US$16,490.

He was taken into custody for investigations into possible money laundering, La Prensa said.

Tabony, owner of Tabony Industries in Belize and the regional enterprise, Grupo Tabony, is a well- known businessman in Belize. In 2014, he was at the center of a land dispute over seaside property in San Pedro.

He also faced a legal challenge some years ago on an allegation that he had breached his fiduciary responsibility to Provident Bank and Trust, as a director on the board, in the trading of shares held in Alliance Bank, now defunct. However, the case against him was dismissed.