Stash Of $5M Gold ‘Belonging To South American Drug Lords’ Seized By Authorities After They Were Intercepted At Heathrow Airport

Investigators in the United Kingdom have recovered approximately $5 million in gold bars that belonged to South American drug cartels after it was seized at Heathrow Airport about four years ago.

The gold, which had previously gone to the Caymans from Venezuela on a private jet, weighed in at more than 220 pounds. It was on its way to Switzerland when it was intercepted by UK Border Force agents in June 2019.

According to reports, the National Crime Agency obtained a recovery order that will allow police to get the gold, which had previously been held under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Border Force agents moved to get possession of the shipment at Heathrow Airport on June 1, 2019, with help of intelligence from the NCA.

The gold, which was recovered in the cargo portion of the plane, became the subject of a money laundering probe from Cayman authorities and the NCA.

Investigators were able to prove that suspected cartel members were enacting organized crime, such as creating a fake paperwork trail, to hide the true origin of the gold bars.

Moving forward, the NCA will have possession of approximately 80 percent of the gold via a settlement via the High Court, while the rest of the gold will be returned to “companies with a financial interest” in it.

NCA Branch Commander told The Mirror that cartels trying to smuggle drugs are “attracted to gold due to the high value contained in relatively small amounts.”

He added that the seizure “disrupted the criminal network” and disrupted the cartels from “reinvesting in further criminality that causes harm to our communities.”

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