Israeli officials arrested an employee of the French consulate in Jerusalem on Tuesday as he tried to cross from Jordan into the West Bank with some 152 kg in gold bars, nearly $2 million in checks and 500 kg of tobacco. Intrigued by the smell of tobacco, Israeli officials asked the man if they could search his car. He refused, explaining that his diplomatic plates were registered at the French consulate in Jerusalem and that he possessed a service passport -- an official document issued by the French authorities that indicates he is a member of the consular staff but which does not serve as a diplomatic passport.
Faced with more questions and increasing pressure, the man grew nervous and asked to be allowed to turn around and return to Jordan. The officials refused and called their superiors, who alerted the French consulate. The ambassador was away, so his deputy took the case.
While the diplomat told the young driver that he was probably right in refusing a search, he insisted it would be in his best interests to obey the custom officials' orders, whereupon the man informed the consular official that what he was carrying wasn't "insignificant". The diplomat, realising that the situation was becoming increasingly complicated, alerted the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Paris.
The ministry's advice was to allow the vehicle to be searched to avoid giving the impression that there was a coverup. The driver eventually complied, revealing 152 kg of gold, mostly in bars; 500 kg of tobacco; hundreds of new cell phones; and nearly $2 million in checks.
| Not exactly what most would think matched the term goods... |
The Israeli police arrested the man, who was in charge of the consulate's garage, questioned him and quickly deported him to France. Now back on French soil, it is still unclear whether or not the driver was arrested by French police.
| The question does arise of where those particular goods came from, and for whom in the West Bank they were intended... |
In an interview with FRANCE 24, Vincent Floriani, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, said the driver was travelling on his own account, privately, and not on behalf of the embassy. The case, however, could harm the reputation of the French consulate in Jerusalem, which some Israelis already call "the embassy of France in Palestine".
| Indeed. That's a pretty valuable cargo for a garage manager to be giving to total strangers, even if there is a pretty girl involved. |
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