Some $625,000 In Gold Had Been Shipped On American Airlines

A shipment of gold worth $625,000 being transported from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Miami International Airport aboard an American Airlines flight Tuesday vanished after the plane was unloaded at the south Florida airport.

The gold had been taken off the plane by five ground crew members and placed on a luggage tram, according to a report from television station WSVN and relayed by Fox News. The cart was found a few hours later in front of the gate at the terminal where the plane had been unloaded, but the gold shipment was missing.

Reuters reports that authorities did not identify the owner of the gold, or what was its intended final destination. AA and airport security officials said only that the FBI was investigating the theft.

Miami is a major trans-shipment hub for gold being exported to Switzerland for refining. The value of the precious metal moving through the airport increased to nearly $8 billion last year as more investors have acquired gold in a still-soft economy. It is now considered to be Miami's number one export commodity.

FMI: www.fbi.gov