Three Chinese nationals have been arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo for allegedly illegally smuggling gold and silver bars.
The gold and silver bars as well as $800,000 (£650,000) in cash were recovered from a speeding car, concealed in the seats, Jean Jacques Purusi, governor of the South Kivu province, said.
This is the second time in a month that Chinese nationals have been arrested for suspected smuggling in the mineral-rich African country, which has been plundered by foreign groups for gold, diamond and silver.
The illegal mineral trade is a longstanding problem that has fueled conflict, corruption and human rights abuses as armed militias and criminal groups often control mining operations in remote areas, forcing miners into dangerous and exploitative labour.
Mr Purusi said a speeding car was chased and stopped in Mashango village in Walungu and the gold bars were discovered after a thorough search, according to Actualite CD.
The governor claimed that the accused were connected to influential people, whom he did not identify, in the capital Kinshasa. “I understood that if we were not careful, we risked missing them. We learned that the minerals were to leave today," he said.
Last month, at least 17 Chinese nationals were detained for allegedly running an illegal gold mine in the country. They were later freed and allowed to return to China.
The governor expressed shock over their release. He claimed that the miners owed the government $10m (£8m) in unpaid taxes and fines.
Meanwhile, activists in recent years have raised concerns over the rapid encroachment of a Chinese gold mine in the eastern Ituri province into the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, an endangered World Heritage site.
Residents and wildlife experts say the mining is polluting rivers and soil, decimating trees, swelling the population, and increasing poaching, with little accountability.
