I recall a story about someone trying to move a fair amount of money. They had a bunch of tools such as a well-equipped motorist would carry (wrench sets, screwdrivers and such) forged out of platinum. They smeared a bit of grease on them here and there to give them that used look, and then just drove across the border with them.

Exactly, like the fake armor plating of your car. After you cross the border you can safely recast the white gold into aircraft seats and fly them to India.

Or just eat a ton of kaju burfi covered in gold foil and then refine it out of your feces later

How a couple of Nobel medals were smuggled: https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2011/10/03/140815154/d...

I'm no metallurgist, but that seems like an insanely expensive and time consuming way of smuggling gold, as compared to say a hidden compartment.