Chinese nationals arrested with gold bars and $800,000 cash in DR Congo
Three Chinese nationals have been detained in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo with 12 gold bars and $800,000 (£650,000) in cash, according to officials. The gold and money were concealed beneath the seats of their vehicle, said Jean Jacques Purusi, the governor of South Kivu province.
The operation to arrest the individuals was kept confidential following the recent release of a group of Chinese nationals who had been accused of operating an illegal gold mine in the region.
Eastern DR Congo is rich in gold, diamonds, and minerals critical for making batteries for mobile phones and electric vehicles. This wealth has been exploited by foreign groups since the colonial era, contributing to the ongoing instability in the region over the past 30 years.
Militia groups control many of the area’s mines, with their leaders growing wealthy by selling resources to intermediaries. Purusi noted that some of these dealers maintain close ties with influential people in the capital, Kinshasa, which is why the arrest operation was kept secret.
Acting on a tip-off, authorities discovered the gold and cash after a thorough search of the vehicle in the Walungu area, near the Rwandan border. The exact amount of gold seized was not disclosed.
Last month, the governor expressed his shock at the release of 17 Chinese nationals arrested for allegedly running an illegal gold mine. Their freedom undermined efforts to reform DR Congo’s often opaque mineral sector, Purusi said, adding that the group owed $10 million in taxes and fines, according to Reuters.
The Chinese embassy has not commented on the allegations.
The arrests come as fighting continues to flare in the neighbouring North Kivu province, where a Rwanda-backed rebel group has captured large areas of territory.
Last month, DR Congo said it was suing Apple over the use of “blood minerals”, prompting the tech giant to say it had stopped getting supplies from both DR Congo and neighbouring Rwanda.
Rwanda has denied being a conduit for the export of illegal minerals from DR Congo.
In their lawsuit, lawyers acting for the Congolese government alleged that the minerals taken from conflict areas was then “laundered through international supply chains”.
“These activities have fuelled a cycle of violence and conflict by financing militias and terrorist groups and have contributed to forced child labour and environmental devastation,” they said.
