That is inherent property of gold... It attracts the worst in most people. Concentrated value in hand too often means that people will be more willing to bend the laws, enforce their will with violence, or simply rob or scam other people. Bitcoin, drugs, cats, precious metals... Obviating the laws and regulations, not paying taxes, flee of the capital outside the country (which is being dramatically ripped off)... And that is why poor countries with plentiful natural resources aren´t usually rich. And if they somehow become rich, it is not due to these resources.
I am completely repelled by these things and people. Not only in Africa, I encountered unhealthy bunch of crooks also at my home country. Trying to liquidate questionably obtained (I am sure 90% of times stolen or scamed from other people, but I will name it "lightly" as just questionable source) cats, karat, bags of silverware... And when you politely say no, they start to threaten you. It was the main reason I stopped offering refining service to anybody. I wiped all of my announcements from webpages, cut contacts with these toxic people, and I am fine now
Certainly better than some 3 folks appearing for a meeting at cafe (their choice) with a bag full of carat, wanting it to be refined and payed out in 2 days, because they need it right now..
Saying, I can refine it in two days, but no way I can get together 5 digits in cash in two days. Go to this refinery I said, they will even pay you better - straigh NO from them, without explanation - and their looks on their faces
persumably, refinery will need ID and pay to the account, not cash...
Or guy with back of the car full of cut cats... Asking for payout in cash right on the place
I am so angry at myself that I didn´t called the cops, but I was alone, unarmed, too afraid and young at the moment. Oh geez, I am so glad that I stopped refining big time. Very, very uncomfortable situations. Not willing to participate in this shady business by any chance. Sticked to few reliable and trustworthy customers, small ammounts of mainly e-scrap, happy now.
It´s sad, because I really liked the actual refining and this job, I think I did it OK, good recoveries, no dumping the green liquid to the river, all nicely decontaminated, base metals reclaimed... Poured bar to the hand of the owner... This part of it I really really enjoyed. Built up quite a bit of skills along the way, confidence in scale up chemistry I needed.