Hong Kong customs has confiscated 145 kilograms (320lbs) of suspected gold bars worth HK$110 million (US$14.1 million) wrapped and hidden in suitcases as part of plane cargo, breaking the record for the largest seizure of its kind in the city.

Anthony Tang Cheuk-wai, divisional commander of the Customs and Excise Department’s special investigation division, said officers discovered the gold bars on Tuesday when checking a batch of plastic suitcases destined for Japan via air shipment.

“This bust marks the largest case of gold smuggling intercepted. The amount of gold seized was over two times more than the 64 kilograms of smuggled gold caught two weeks ago,” Tang said.

The previous record for the largest bullion-smuggling bust was another Japan-bound shipment intercepted on March 11, when officers found HK$46 million worth of gold.

Tang added that the criminal syndicate behind the smuggling attempt could have evaded HK$11 million of import duties, if the 145 kilograms of bullion went undetected.

Ryan Ip Kin-sang, senior inspector of customs’ cargo examination unit, said the gold bars were found when checking 26 plastic suitcases bound for Japan as air cargo at midnight on Tuesday.

Officers had first scanned the shipment with X-ray and seen suspicious images in 14 suitcases, with a black rectangle detected in the middle of those bags while others were shown to be empty.