Border Force officers at London's Heathrow Airport managed to seize dozens of gold bars estimated to be worth more than $5 million. The officers that caught the shipment were reportedly conducting an international investigation into various suspects linked to drug cartels in South America.
The gold that was seized at the London airport weighed in at 229 pounds and was on its way to Switzerland. The shipment of gold was traced back to an unknown sender from the Cayman Islands. According to authorities, no arrests were made and the investigation was still ongoing. The identity of the sender has also not yet been determined.
The National Crime Agency (NCA), a UK law enforcement organization, confirmed the gold that was seized did come from the Cayman Islands. However, the organization's investigation has found out that the shipment of gold may have originated from Venezuela.
The agency's sources revealed that the gold was flown via a private jet to the Cayman Islands before they were shipped to the UK.
The NCA alerted Border Force agents at Heathrow Airport that the shipment of gold was on its way to the UK. Agents responded by immediately moving in to detain the shipment when it arrived at the airport.
NCA Heathrow branch Commander Steve McIntyre told reporters that they do have reason to believe that the gold was linked to drug cartels in South America. McIntyre revealed that they are currently working with international partners to quickly identify similar shipments and to put a stop to them coming into the UK.
The UK is apparently a popular safe haven for drug cartels to move their money across borders, which they then use to fund further investments linked to their drug activities.
Money that comes into the country, through gold and other assets, are typically re-invested into legitimate businesses, while others are used to fund the cartel's ongoing drug operations.
Border Force director Nick Jariwalla stated that the recent seizure was a big victory in the fight against criminal networks in the UK and abroad. The official added that the confiscation should hit the organizations where they feel it the most, "in the pocket."
The NCA revealed that it has already started a new money-laundering investigation with the support of Cayman Islands authorities. The probe into the matter will attempt to identify the drug cartel couriers and their money laundering activities in the UK.
Heathrow Airport has seen its share of large seizures in the past. In 2017, authorities arrested a Heathrow security worker who was acting as a drug mule for the Columbian cartel. The worker was apprehended in the UK with around $600,000 worth of cocaine from South America.
