Chinese woman illegally crossed Canada-U.S. border with $38K in gold bars: authorities

Brooklyn NeustaeterCTVNews.ca Writer

Published Sunday, August 9, 2020 8:59AM EDT

U.S. Customs and Border Protection shared this image of gold bars they seized from a woman who they say illegally crossed the Canada-U.S. border. (U.S. Customs and Border Patrol)

TORONTO -- A Chinese woman was arrested after allegedly entering the United States illegally from Canada while carrying more than $38,000 in gold bars, according to border authorities.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement released Thursday that the woman was arrested with 14.25 ounces of gold bars in her possession, valued at over $38,000 (US$28,500). She also had more than $13,500 (US$10,000) in cash.

The 36-year-old woman was apprehended near the town of Amity, Maine on Tuesday, the agency said in the statement.

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Officials said the woman admitted to being a Chinese national illegally present in the U.S. The woman told border authorities that she had been legally allowed into Canada as a student and illegally crossed the border to visit a friend in San Francisco, Calif.

Border officials from the Houlton Border Patrol Station determined the spot where the woman illegally crossed the Canada-U.S. border by matching footprints with her shoes, according to the statement.

The woman, who has not been identified, was subsequently sent back to Canada following her arrest.