An attempt to smuggle precious metals illegally was uncovered at Cappadocia Airport located in Nevşehir province, Turkey. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
During this operation, five Uzbek citizens and one Turkish citizen were detained. These individuals attempted to smuggle more than 61 kilograms of gold illegally.
The Nevşehir police's anti-smuggling and organized crime department acted based on prior information. The suspects – three women and two men, all Uzbek citizens – were flying from Istanbul to Cappadocia.
Their luggage attracted the attention of airport staff, especially household appliances whose weight exceeded the norm – a meat grinder and a dough mixer raised suspicion. An inspection conducted with special equipment revealed gold bars hidden inside the appliances.
These bars were skillfully concealed in the form of metal parts, with a total weight of 61 kilograms and 121 grams. The gold is 24 karats, and its market value was estimated at 355 million Turkish lira or approximately 8.5 million US dollars.
This was recorded as one of the largest gold smuggling cases in Turkey in recent years. Additionally, a Turkish citizen who came to receive the cargo was also detained.
All those detained were imprisoned and sent to court after the initial investigation. At the same time, one of the Uzbek suspects was handed over to the anti-illegal migration department and is expected to be deported.
Currently, the investigation is ongoing to determine the origin and final destination of the gold.
