NCA Officials Seized Gold Worth $5 Million Linked to Drug Cartels

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Border Force officers seized more than 100 kilograms of gold at London’s Heathrow Airport. The gold seizure was part of an international investigation into South American drug cartels. The seized gold weighing nearly 229 pounds and worth approximately $5 million, will now be officially held under the U.K Proceeds of Crime Act. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

The operation was based on intelligence provided by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). According to NCA officials, the gold is believed to have originated in Venezuela and shipped to Cayman Islands by a private jet. It was seized while being transferred from Cayman Islands to its final destination-Switzerland.

Majority of the seized gold was in the form of bars and small pieces. A few of them were found to be heart-shaped, sources said.

Steve McIntyre, NCA Heathrow branch commander noted that the gold is linked to drug cartels operating out of South America. The Agency was able to identify it and block its onward movement, by coordinating with its partners overseas and in the UK. Stoppages like this could help to cause disruption to criminal networks, he added.

Meantime, Nick Jariwalla, Border Force Heathrow Director stated that the massive gold haul clearly demonstrates Border Force’s committed efforts against organized crime, in partnership with local and overseas law enforcement agencies.