French customs officials recently discovered bars and more than 800 gold coins bearing images of English kings and queens during a highway checkpoint near the Swiss border.
• Also read – Emotions on the street after the attack on an elected official in France
• Also read – 'Dangerous' remarks: Macron's defense of Depardieu dismays feminists
On December 14, Surveillance Squad officers intercepted a vehicle registered in the United Kingdom.
On board the car, in which there were two people, the customs officers stole a real treasure: several gold bars and coins, the value of which is estimated at more than 600,000 euros.
During the check, the driver, a man aged around 50, said he came from Switzerland and wanted to go to Great Britain.
He immediately admitted that he had cash on him and provided a bank statement showing the amount of cash, bonds, precious metals and raw materials, without any information on the amount transported.
While searching luggage and backpacks, customs officers discovered several stacks of envelopes containing four gold bars weighing one kilo each and 852 gold coins with the portraits of George V, Edward VII, Victoria and Elizabeth II.
It is a criminal offense if the obligation to declare cash worth 10,000 euros or more is not complied with when entering the European Union.
Initially taken into custody, “the two people were released,” said the public prosecutor’s office in Mulhouse (East).
An investigation has been launched to shed light on the origin of the seized valuables.
In 2022, customs seized 80.4 million euros for non-compliance with reporting requirements and money laundering, an increase of 35% in two years.