Angola seized 462 diamonds under ‘Operation Transparency’ in the last two months, in Lunda-Norte Province, according to the state media.
Angop news agency reports that of the diamonds seized, 200 (46, 8 carats) were valued at $9 million, while the value of the other 262 stones was yet to be established.
The Angolan police recently seized 4,429 diamonds from a French national in Lucapa.
The French national was arrested on July 5 following several tip-offs of alleged illegal sale and purchasing of diamonds
Operation transparency was launched in December 2018 to combat illegal diamond mining, illegal immigration, administrative infractions, among other things.
More than 6500 diamonds were seized in 2019 under the operation.
At least 19 vehicles and $275,000 were also confiscated while 147,379 foreign citizens were deported for illegal immigration.
Angola had more than 700 small diamond prospectors prior to the operation, which was carried out in 2018 by the ministry of the interior.
Only 260 of them were said to have met the requirements to continue prospecting.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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