MONTEVIDEO, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Uruguayan authorities have uncovered criminal organizations that smuggle gold and silver between Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil, local daily "El Pais" said on Monday.

    Ricardo Gil, director of the Anti Assets Laundry Secretariat, said that the smugglers sent about 125 tons of silver from Uruguay to jewelry factories in Argentina and Brazil for about 50 million U.S. dollars.

    "This operation is set by Brazilians who bring gold to Uruguay to trade silver," Gil said.

    In an operation, police stopped a vehicle from Brazil with about 200kg of precious metals inside the vehicle.

    The silver was illegally transported from Jan. 1, 2007 to October 2008, Gil said.