FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection found nearly six pounds of gold that was painted black being smuggled into a Florida airport on Wednesday.
The undeclared gold was disguised as belt buckles, bracelets and keychains and is valued at about $170,000, officials said. It was found at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport.
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“Gold is one of the top ten items smuggled globally, either to evade import duties or to launder the illicit profits of Transnational Criminal Organizations, “ Stephen Balog, the agency's acting Fort Lauderdale port director, said in a news release.
The passenger with the black painted gold was arriving from Columbia. It was seized and Homeland Security Investigations agents are investigating the case.