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| The smuggled goods |
A French consulate employee was arrested and charged with smuggling related charges after he was caught smuggling gold into Israel, according to police reports.
Israeli customs officials at the Allenby Bridge, also known as the King Hussein crossing, between Jordan and the West Bank, arrested a French employee of the French consulate in Jerusalem. The employee, who was driving a vehicle with diplomatic consular plates, was caught trying to smuggle 152 kilos of gold, 500 kilos of tobacco, hundreds of cell phones and checks totaling nearly $2 million, into Israel on Tuesday.
Intrigued by the smell of tobacco, Israeli customs officials at the border crossing asked the man to allow a search of his vehicle. The driver refused and said his car had white plates marked for consular and worked at the French consulate in Jerusalem. He also said that he was in possession of a service passport, a diplomatic document issued by the French authorities, indicating that he is working for the consulate. However, he does not have a diplomatic passport.
When the man realized that the Israeli authorities were not willing to compromise, he demanded to be allowed to return to Jordan. That is when the French consulate was notified.
The French consulate ordered the man to comply with police.
After being arrested, the man was questioned and quickly deported to France.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, Vincent Floriani, said the man was traveling on private business and promised full cooperation with French and Israeli authorities in this case. "We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior," he said.