On Sunday, April 14, 2024, a 60-year-old man was caught at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport with gold bars worth a total of 1,7 million Swedish crowns (around 146.454 euros).
According to official information, Swedish customs carried out a routine check and found the significant amount of gold. According to the authorities, the man is said to have used the green channel instead of the red channel, contrary to the regulations. Since he could not conclusively prove the origin during the check, the public prosecutor's office was consulted. This ordered the preliminary arrest and initiated an investigation on suspicion of serious money laundering.
It is generally not forbidden to import gold in such large quantities, but travelers must comply with the law. This specifically means that the red channel must be used and there it must be officially registered with the customs officers. Depending on the value, duties may have to be paid. In any case, from 10.000 euros the origin must be proven. If the suspicion of money laundering turns out to be true, it should be clear why the alleged perpetrator had no evidence of origin. If travelers are “caught” using the green channel, not only will there be surcharges, but depending on the severity of the offense, they can find themselves in criminal proceedings, which can sometimes result in a prison sentence.
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