IN James Bond films one of the villains was Goldfinger. In Canada, they have Goldbum.

    A former Royal Canadian Mint employee who smuggled 22 gold nuggets out of the secure facility in Ottawa by hiding them in his rectum has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, local media reported Friday.

    Leston Lawrence, 35, will also have to pay a fine of 190,000 Canadian dollars (US$143,800) within three years of being released.

    Ontario Court judge Peter Doody ruled that between November 2014 and March 2015 Lawrence stole 22 gold “pucks” worth about US$165,451.

    Lawrence’s job was to purify gold in a process that involved melting gold purchased by the mint from various sources and turning it into a nugget or “puck.”

    Lawrence would use latex gloves and Vaseline found in his locker to insert the puck into his rectum.

    Lawrence was eventually caught after a vigilant bank employee notified police in February 2015 that Lawrence asked her to cash two cheques worth US$15,200 from Ottawa Gold Buyers.(SD-Agencies)