Diplomat Tries To Smuggle $1.7 Million In Gold Through Customs

gold smuggling
image: wiki commons

60 pounds of gold. I could only imagine what that looks and feels like in person.

Oh, and the value. It’s worth close to $1.7 million dollars!

Now could you imagine trying to lift a bag weighing 60 pounds! Or sneaking it into a country…

A North Korean diplomat was caught trying to smuggle close to 60 pounds of gold into Bangladesh. The diplomat flew into Dhaka and tried to get through customs by saying that his luggage did not need to be scanned or searched.

Why not? The man, Son Young-nam  thought that because he (according to USA Today) “carried a red diplomatic passport, which gave him immunity” he could get right past customs. The agents insisted on checking what was doing inside his heavy bag.

The diplomat refused for hours until he gave up. It was then that customers officers “found gold bars and ornaments weighing 59 pounds, which is worth $1.67 million“.

In Bangladesh travelers can bring up to 4.4 pounds of gold into the country at a time.

Son’s gold was confiscated due to it being just a bit over the limit allowed. He was then “released under the Vienna Convention” but “customs officials plan to prosecute“.

The customs officials believe the gold was being smuggled to be sold to a “local criminal racket”

Find out more from USA Today here.

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