ISTANBUL, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police seized smuggled gold bars and bracelets worth 1.4 million U.S. dollars in an operation on Thursday at the northwestern border province of Edirne, local media reported.
The Haberturk Daily said the security forces seized two trucks arriving in Türkiye from the Kapikule border gate with Bulgaria, confiscating 23 gold bars and 22 gold bracelets weighing nearly 19 km.
The seized gold is worth 45.2 million Turkish liras or 1.4 million dollars, said Haberturk.
Rampant inflation, a weakening currency and geopolitical tensions are boosting demand for gold in Türkiye, according to a World Gold Council report published on Tuesday.
The Turkish State Mint has recently issued a cautionary note to citizens and shop owners regarding counterfeit and smuggled gold when gold production is struggling to meet demand. ■
