Summary
Three Chinese nationals were arrested in eastern DR Congo with 12 gold bars and $800,000 in cash hidden in their vehicle.
The arrests, conducted secretly, follow criticism of the release of 17 Chinese nationals previously accused of operating illegal gold mines.
Eastern DR Congo’s mineral wealth, long exploited by foreign actors, fuels instability and militias profiting from illegal mining.
The arrests highlight ongoing struggles to reform the country’s mineral sector, which has been linked to conflict, child labor, and environmental harm in global supply chains.
But I was assured by lemmygrad that they were helping historical colonial countries out of the goodness of their own hearts. /s
They were just carrying the gold around to distribute it to locals I’m sure