I don’t think their buyer had any use for bitcoin
The article is not about Bitcoin but it's the first thing I thought of while reading the article, smuggling gold is so 2010.
Bitcoin is the currency of the Internet: a distributed, worldwide, decentralized digital money. Unlike traditional currencies such as dollars, bitcoins are issued and managed without any central authority whatsoever: there is no government, company, or bank in charge of Bitcoin. As such, it is more resistant to wild inflation, corrupt bankers and politicians. With Bitcoin, you can be your own bank.