An ex-Royal Canadian Mint employee stole 22 cookie-sized pieces of refined gold by hiding them in his rectum.

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Leston Lawrence, 35, was found guilty last November of stealing the pieces from the mint and selling 17 of them through Ottawa Gold Buyers.

The gold smuggler has now been sentenced to 30 months in prison

Ontario Court judge Peter Doody sentenced Lawrence and ordered him to pay a fine of $145,900 (£116,000).

Doody says the stolen gold was worth $127,116.11 (£101,806).

Lawrence was involved in purifying recently procured gold and sometimes worked alone, out of sight of security cameras, Court testimony indicated.