Chinese police said on Thursday that they have detained 12 people in Shenzhen suspected of smuggling gold bars worth 21 million yuan (3.1 million U.S. dollars).
Customs officers at Shenzhen Bay Port noticed several people with very little luggage at around 7 p.m. on June 28. They were eventually found to be carrying 76 gold bars, each weighing 1 kg, hidden in pockets, pants and dresses.
The group of six men and six women were all Chinese, five of them Hong Kong residents. Each was carrying six to seven gold bars and according to one of them, they expected to be paid 80 yuan for each gram.
The 12 are all in custody. The gold they carried has been found to have a purity of 999.9 per mille.
Travelers leaving the country with more than 50 grams of gold require certification from the country's central bank or a declaration form for a matching amount issued upon entering the country.
Smuggling of precious metals is subject to prison terms ranging from five years to life.
