RIO DE JANEIRO: An Argentine man who arrived in Sao Paulo aboard a flight from Spain was arrested over the weekend when he tried to smuggle 2,600 gold necklaces into Brazil in a specially designed vest, officials said.
The jewelry, which weighs 7.2 kilos (nearly 16 pounds), is worth $250,000, the Federal Tax Administration office at the Sao Paulo international airport said.
The suspect did not list the necklaces on a customs declaration form and did not have receipts or papers documenting the jewelry’s origins when he arrived at the airport aboard a flight from Madrid on Saturday.
The man, who told authorities he planned to sell the necklaces in Sao Paulo and claimed he did business in Brazil, was arrested and charged with smuggling and tax evasion.
The necklaces were in a specially designed vest with many pockets that the suspect was wearing under his shirt.
The jewelry will be evaluated to determine its quality, whether it is made from real gold and its value, the Federal Tax Administration said.
This was the second seizure of jewelry at the Sao Paulo international airport this month.
On July 5, diamonds and emeralds worth about $1.5 million were seized by customs agents, who found them in an undergarment worn by a traveler who arrived from the United States.
