Black Gold Seized By CBP Officers In South Florida

click to expand

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- When you hear the term black gold, you may think of crude oil, but when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found black gold being smuggled into South Florida, it was literally gold, painted black to avoid detection.

According to CBP officials, officers assigned to the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport discovered 2,704 grams of gold being smuggled into the U.S. on October 6.

Gold seized by CBP officers in South Florida (Courtesy: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

A passenger from Colombia tried to hide the undeclared hidden gold disguised as belt buckles, bracelets, and keychains, all painted black.

"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," said Stephen J. Balog, CBP's Acting Ft. Lauderdale Port Director. "This discovery is indicative of the attention to detail our officers deploy everyday protecting our nation's economy."

The gold has an approximate value of $170,000.00.