Are Airplanes Great Places to Find Tons of Gold?
Are airplanes great places to look for gold, silver and other precious metals? Granted, the mechanical and electronics that planes hold often contain elements of gold, platinum and silver. But tons of gold? Why would any plane contain that much precious metal?
But as a recent news story tells us, planes do sometimes contain very large amounts of precious metals. Here is a video that tells the tale that 93 tons of gold/silver bullion recently started to fall out of a Russian plane ...
How did 93 tons of gold/silver alloy bullion end up on the plane? Simple answer. It had been stored in the plane’s cargo hold. Why did it start to fall out of the plane during takeoff? Another simple answer. The cargo, which was heavy, was not properly secured. During takeoff it shifted, pushed open a cargo door, and started to fall out onto the runway. Guards showed up at once to make sure that local citizens didn’t rush onto the airfield to start collecting it (hey, you can’t blame people for trying), and all the gold was reportedly recovered. You can read the whole story in “Tonnes of Gold and Silver Bars Fall from Russian Plane,” a recent article in The Telegraph.
Another Reason Gold Bullion Ends Up on Airplanes
Gold ends up hidden in airplane bathrooms and other locations because smugglers put it there. Another recent story, “Group Accused of Smuggling Gold in Airplane Toilet,” tells about one such caper. It seems that a gang of smugglers, who were arrested, had concealed five gold bars, worth about $209,000, under a panel in a plane’s bathroom. It happened on a Japan Airlines airliner that was on its way to Japan. Full details of their plot have not been determined, but apparently, they hid the gold there so it would be picked up by accomplices after the plane landed.
No matter what those criminals were trying to do, it is clear that they were attempting to smuggle gold into Japan to avoid paying duties.
Over the years, there have been reports of similar exploits. Crooks have hidden precious metals under airplane seats, behind panels under airplane windows, and in other spots. Plus, various luggage-based schemes have been reported, in which smugglers have checked bags full of gold, which were then supposed to be picked up by accomplices from baggage carousels.
How well do those schemes work? We don’t really know, because we only hear about crimes that were discovered. For all we know, lots of gold and other precious metals are being smuggled across international borders in crimes that are never detected.
Can You Profit from Gold those Smugglers Left Behind?
We do know that old airplanes of all kinds do contain quantities of gold, platinum, titanium and other valuable metals that can be retrieved by the companies that buy old planes, scrap them, or recondition and resell them. The precious metals can be found in electronic devices, in engines, in thermocouples, in instrument panels, and elsewhere.
So if you find an old plane or a group of them and get permission to check them out, you might just find precious metals that can be worth a great deal of money. Call Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners at 800-426-2344 to speak with our precious metals experts. Will you find 93 tons of gold? Probably not. But you could find a quantity of precious metals in old planes that is worth much more than you expect.
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