Gold luck! BOC stunned to find gold jewels worth P80M on plane toilet

By: Jean Mangaluz - 2 years ago

BOC accidentally finds P80 million worth of various pieces of gold jewelry in an airplane lavatory.

The 24 kilos of assorted pieces of gold jewelry worth P80 million that Bureau of Customs agents accidentally discovered inside an airplane lavatory on Thursday, November 17, 2022. Authorities have since confiscated the items. Photo from BOC

MANILA, Philippines — Call it a case of “gold luck.”

On Thursday night, during a routine check, agents from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) were stumped to find a hoard of gold jewelry worth an estimated P80 million on the plane’s restroom.

The BOC said in a statement that the bundles of jewelry weighing 24 kilos in total were discovered hidden inside the toilet of aircraft PR 301, which arrived from Hong Kong on November 17.

It noted that the commercial flight landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 2.

Bureau of Customs agents conduct inventory on 24 kilos of assorted pieces of gold jewelry worth P80 million that it accidentally discovered inside an airplane lavatory on Thursday, November 17, 2022. Authorities have since confiscated the items. Photo from BOC

According to the BOC, the pieces of gold jewelry were discovered when the Customs Boarding Inspector was conducting boarding formalities.

BOC-Naia District Collector Carmelita Talusan has ordered a thorough investigation, “including identifying the persons responsible for this smuggling attempt.”

“The Bureau of Customs-Port of Naia, headed by District Collector Talusan, ensures the stringent implementation of border security measures as directed by Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz. This is aligned with the orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to stop smuggling in the country,” the BOC said Friday.

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