MORONI: The Comoros has returned to Madagascar 28 gold bars seized from smugglers at the main airport in 2021, both governments said on Friday, concluding a saga that soured relations between the neighbours.
The gold, weighing 49kg, was discovered in the luggage of three people about to catch a flight from the Comoros to Dubai.
The find uncovered a smuggling route by boat from Madagascar to the Comoros, about 800km away.
Two of the men, from Madagascar, were swiftly repatriated to face trial. Five Comorans –including a former airport director and a customs officer –were arrested and sentenced to jail in 2022.
However, the Comoros held onto the gold, leading Madagascar to suspend sea and air links with its Indian Ocean neighbour.…
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Star South Africa (Digital) - 1 Issue, 2025-03-17