You could say it was quite the bling sting. According to the Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Office of Field Operations, $20.7 million in designer jewelry was seized at the Detroit Windsor Tunnel on Monday.
CBP said in a press release that the undeclared and unmanifested jewelry was located following an investigation. Officers reportedly discovered that a service was hired to transport the merchandise to someone in Detroit, who would take it to its final destination. The driver, according to border protection, claimed he was unaware of the contents of the package.
The jewelry was reportedly headed to a New York auction house to eventually be sold on behalf of the owner, who is a Canadian citizen. The owner, according to the CBP, was notified that the pieces were seized for failure to declare the merchandise upon entry.
“For the traveling public, this example underscores the importance of knowing what is in their possession when attempting to make entry into the United States, and declaring it accordingly,” said Port Director Devin Chamberlain in a press release. “Officers in Detroit did an excellent job in discovering and securing this high-value undeclared merchandise.”
