A Congolese court has sentenced three Chinese citizens to seven years in prison after they were arrested in possession of gold bars and $400,000 in cash and found guilty of illegal activities linked to the artisanal mining sector.

Three Chinese citizens have been sentenced to seven years in prison for the illegal exploitation of minerals in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The court sentenced the men late Tuesday for the illegal purchase and possession of minerals in Bukavu, capital of the gold-rich South Kivu province, according to daily Le Potentiel.

The trial took place against a backdrop of increasing efforts to combat illegal mineral trafficking in the DRC.

Suspects were found in possession of $400,000 in cash and substantial amount of gold, raising concerns about scale of their operations and potential involvement of organized networks