Nine suspects have been arrested on charges of smuggling gold into South Korea, a local customs office said Thursday.
Incheon Main Customs said it has arrested three smugglers, including a 39-year-old suspect surnamed Min, and booked six others without physical detention for allegedly violating the country's customs law.
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This photo provided by the Incheon Main Customs on Feb. 16, 2017, shows beads of gold bars smuggled in through Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. (Yonhap) |
The suspects are accused of transforming 24.3 billion won($21.37 million) worth of gold bars into small beads and putting them in their rectums, and smuggling them in and out from January 2015 to last month.
They brought in 415 kilograms of gold bars, worth some 21.4 billion won, from China and smuggled out some 61 kg of the precious metal to Japan during the cited period, according to its officials.
The suspects were given 100,000 won for delivering one and usually carried five to six beads at a time, the officials said.
The Incheon customs office detected the suspects while analyzing information of those who frequently visited particular regions or those who have a record of violating customs law.
"We are chasing after those who orchestrated the smuggling operation and other key members of the ring," a customs official said. (Yonhap)
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