Man Swallows Gold In An Attempt To 'Smuggle' It

It has been reported that a man in the Democratic Republic of the Congo attempted to "smuggle" significant quantities of gold by eating it before being discovered by a door alarm.

The lasers present on the doors caused the triggering of an alarm which led to the capture of the individual who was trying to leave a building after he had swallowed around 81g of the precious metal, according to reports.

The man was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital, where an ultrasound revealed that the gold had made its way through his digestive system. There, he was apparently given materials to "evacuate" the stolen goods through his rear end, said reports.

MINES.CD tweeted, "#DRC A Kibali [Gold Mine] employee smuggled 81g of gold. Seeking to leave the site, the door's laser detected and then triggered the alarm."

"Taken to hospital, the swallowed gold was visible on ultrasound. After administration of products, he evacuated the package anally."

The post was accompanied by images of an X-ray, which apparently showed the gold pieces after they had passed through the man's digestive system.

The Daily Star was informed by the publication that an outside source had provided them with the current information and that they were seeking additional information and comment from the man's employer regarding the attempted crime.

Social media users responded quickly to the story with comments.

One wrote, "Result of the suffering of the employees," while another added, "Proof that Kibali does not pay its employees accordingly. They see how they produce, but [pay] a mediocre salary."

Another simply chimed in, "A smart man," while a fourth said, "Really, what a risk!"

The Kibali Gold Mine is a combined open pit and underground gold mine in the Haut-Uélé province of the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo. By area, it is one of the largest in Africa. The mine is named for the nearby Kibali River. It is operated by Barrick Gold Corporation.

Facilities include a sulfide and oxide plant that can process 7.2 million tonnes of ore per year, three 44MW hydroelectric stations, a 32MW backup thermal power generator, and separate storage facilities for cyanide and flotation tailings.