TRIPOLI: The authorities in Libya have arrested several customs officials for trying to smuggle about 26 tons of gold worth almost $1.9 billion, prosecutors said on Monday.
The Libyan prosecutor’s office did not provide details about the suspected origin of the massive amount of precious metal, more than the gold reserves of many countries in the world.
The office said that the authorities made the arrests related to the trafficking operation at the port city’s international airport, in Misrata, western Libya.
In a statement on Facebook, it said that the investigating authorities ordered the arrest of the director general of customs and customs officials at Misrata International Airport.
The officials in December 2023 had attempted to smuggle the gold bars weighing some 25,875 kilograms, worth almost $1.9 billion, the statement said.
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According to Libyan law, only the central bank can export gold, said the office, which opened an inquiry into the case in January.
Libya has been facing political instability and violence since the 2011 overthrow and killing of longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
The country is divided between Abdelhamid Dbeibah’s UN-recognized government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, supported by Khalifa Haftar.
The US-based non-government group The Sentry, which investigates trafficking in the conflict areas, said that Libya has become a hub for illicit gold trafficking over the past decade.
