MUMBAI: Officials of the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) arrested two African nationals, including a woman, late on Saturday for trying to smuggle in 'blood diamonds', the export of which is banned.

Officials intercepted Congo national Sow Bian Guena and Angolan national Maria Juana at the airport on Friday. They had cleared the green channel when officials stopped them. Collectively they had hidden in their rectums diamonds of 3,500 carats. The stones are valued at Rs 90 lakh in the international market. A local court has sent the two to judicial custody for 14 days.

Officials said Sow was carrying 1,629.5 carats of diamonds in his rectum, while Maria had hidden 1,795.5 carats of diamonds. Both were travelling from Rwanda to Mumbai.

DRI officials said the two were promised $1,000 each for delivering the stones to a person in the city.

According to officials, most of these diamonds end up in Gujarat where they are polished. "Diamond import is one of the methods used to launder money," an official said. The Kimberley Process was formed in 2003 to ban export of blood diamonds as the trade was accused of fuelling war in Africa. The guidelines are followed by 75 nations.