According to Marina Bokyo, a customs spokesperson in eastern Siberia, the woman seemed “nervous and suspicious” as she “unnaturally placed one foot in front of the other,” BBC reported. An investigation by customs officials revealed that the woman had taped eight gold discs to the soles of her feet, which set off a metal detector when she walked through it.
"The ingots had been attached to the insoles of her shoes with duct tape," an official Tuesday statement by customs officials says, AFP reported.
A criminal case was opened against the woman, who is believed to have been smuggling the gold for a Chinese citizen in exchange for cash. The woman now faces up to seven years in prison.
Officials have frequently stopped Russians from attempting to smuggle gold into China over the past year, Bokyo told AFP.
Another Russian national was caught at Zabaikalsk in August attempting to smuggle about 10 golden bars across the border under her sneaker insoles.