DRC, Kenyan Probe Come Up Empty-Handed

The co-operation between the governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya in tracing about 2 1/2 tonnes of gold smuggled out of the conflict-torn eastern part of the former country has reached a dead end. No gold has been found.

The team of detectives from Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have called in computer experts, documents examiners, mines and geology officials and other government officials to assist in the investigations.

Under probe are eleven companies and nine individuals named in a list handed over to President Kibaki by his DRC counterpart Joseph Kabila recently when he visited the country over the smuggling of the Sh8 billion worth of gold. (READ: Joint team to seek smuggled gold)

The article also notes that local con men have been defrauding foreigners by sales of fake gold. Gold smugging may be romantic, but the atmosphere of illegality does mean that outsiders have to watch out. Local con men who defraud outsiders in lawless regions tend to be not hated.