A CROOK had £180,000 worth of gold seized from him after he tried to hide it.

The valuable jewellery was taken from the 50-year-old by border officers at Gatwick Airport as he arrived in the UK from Dubai in October 2018.

He had failed to declare the items then, when authorities discovered them, he downplayed the amount and weight of the precious metal, claiming they were for guests to wear at a wedding.

After being referred to investigators at the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, the jewellery was seized as a listed asset and further enquiries uncovered “inconsistencies in his account”.

Investigators applied for a forfeiture order for the gold and, following a hearing at Horsham Magistrates’ Court, the order was made on February 6.