Cuba's General Customs (AGR) seized over 12 kilograms of gold that two passengers were attempting to smuggle out through Havana's José Martí International Airport; the gold was concealed inside nine handcrafted figures painted black.

The discovery was announced this Monday by Wiliam Pérez González, First Deputy Chief of the AGR, via his official X account. He highlighted the expertise of the officers who detected the mineral and proceeded to report the case to the Revolutionary National Police.

The concealment method was particularly elaborate: the nine pieces were shaped like stylized human heads—featuring visible facial traits such as eyes, a nose, a mouth, and hair textured with parallel lines—and had a glossy black finish that made them resemble amulets, handicrafts, or ritual figures.

Pérez summarized the discovery as follows: "The 9 black-painted figures concealed the mineral of high international value; we recognize the expertise of the officers who filed the report with the police."

Based on this Monday's closing price for gold near $3,997 per troy ounce single kilogram of pure gold would be worth approximately $128,507.

Consequently, the more than 12 kilograms detected would represent a value exceeding $1.54 million, although the final estimate will depend on the metal's exact weight and purity.

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