Eastern Zimbabwean police have apprehended a woman who was allegedly on Friday concealing 83 uncut diamonds in her lingerie and vagina.

The state-controlled Manica Post reported that the 43-year-old was apprehended at a blockade in the eastern city of Mutare on Sunday.

Vimbai Munjoma was returning from the Chiadzwa diamond fields in a car with five men.

Acting on a tip-off, detectives stopped the car and searched the occupants.

Prosecutor Fletcher Karombe affirmed that "a total of 16 pieces of diamonds were recovered from Munjoma's pants”.

Another 67 diamonds were found in her vagina when she was taken to a local hospital.

Following the death of three panners in Chiadzwa last week when they were struck by falling rock.

Mining firms operating in Chiadzwa had kept panners out of the fields, until the government demanded those companies to stop operations late in February.

Only the state-run Marange Resources was allowed to stay on. The firm would be made part of the new Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company.

The Manica Post reported that 168 panners were apprehended in Chiadzwa on Sunday.

The Herald newspaper reported on Friday that there was "no going back" on the consolidation of mining activities in Chiadzwa. Mines Minister Walter Chidakwa was quoted as saying that a diamond auction would be held at the end of March.

During an interview to mark his 92nd birthday, Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Mugabe claimed that mining firms operating in Chiadzwa had "mugged" Zimbabwe of billions of dollars in gems.