Smuggler Swallows 220 Diamonds: $2.3 Million Jewels Discovered During Airport Scan In South Africa

South African police found 220 diamonds in a Lebanese man's stomach. Police received a tip, which prompted to search the man at the O.R. Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg who was planning on flying to Dubai with the jewels.

A 25-year-old man was trying to travel outside the country when he was stopped at the airport and scanned when security found the jewels in his stomach.   The Unidentified man was arrested and given laxatives to recover the $2.3 million polished diamonds. 

South African police Captain, Paul Ramaloka said, "He was intercepted just as he was about to go through the security checkpoint. Then took him for a scan where we discovered where he was hiding the diamonds."

After receiving a tip about a smuggling ring, investigators began following the suspect, "The trend of people smuggling by ingesting substances used to be quite common but has now fallen off due to increased security," Ramaloka said.

The same incident had been deterred earlier this year in January. Another Lebanese man was arrested at the airport for diamonds in his stomach which was worth $1 million.