An attempt to smuggle gold was foiled on Thursday by Israeli forces at the Allenby border crossing which separates the West Bank from Jordan.

After being informed that the driver of a bus crossing the border was transporting the sum of $1,500, customs officers carried out a search of the vehicle and discovered gold bars hidden in the air conditioning duct. The value of the goods is estimated at more than $275,000.

The gold and the vehicle were seized, while the driver was handed over to the Palestinian authorities. Attempts to smuggle through the Allenby crossing are common, but they usually involve arms shipments.

The latest incident caused a stir as a Jordanian lawmaker used his diplomatic immunity to try to smuggle weapons into Palestinian territory. Imad al-Adwane, 35, was arrested on April 22 by Israel after 12 rifles and 194 pistols were found in his car.

He was handed over to Jordan a few weeks later and was charged in mid-May. The lawmaker faces up to 15 years in prison.