A man carrying no fewer than 1,304 uncut diamonds in his intestines has been arrested by Angolan authorities, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported on Monday.
The Angolan man was arrested at a Luanda airport after he arrived by plane from Cafunfu, in Lunda Norte province, Superintendent Francisco Pestana, a spokesman for the National Police, told Lusa.
The 38-year-old man was taken to a Luanda hospital. After an examination, the 1,304 diamonds wrapped in plastic were removed from his intestines.
The weight and value were not immediately determined, Lusa said.
Authorities in the former Portuguese colony are holding the man without bail. He faces a sentence of eight to 12 years in prison for smuggling and illegal possession of diamonds, Lusa said.
Angola set up a state-controlled export monopoly in 2000 to reduce smuggling and boost state revenues. Angola’s UNITA rebels mostly fund their war effort by smuggling diamonds out of the southwest African nation.
This story was received through Reuters.
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