Bum rap? Sri Lankan arrested for trying to smuggle gold in rectum

The 45-year-old, headed for India, was arrested at Colombo airport on Sunday after customs officials noticed "suspicious movements", customs spokesman Sunil Jayarathne told Reuters.

The suspect was carrying 904.77 grams of gold worth 4.5 million rupees ($29,577), but was freed after payment of 100,000 rupees, he said. Such methods of smuggling were not unusual, he said.

"The gold was wrapped in plastic bags inserted in to his rectum," Jayarathne said, adding that there were four bags.

"This is not the first such detection and this is a common method of smuggling."

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Writing by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Nick Macfie)