Stolen ring removed from Irish man's body with colonoscopy in Turkey's southwest

MUĞLA

A diamond ring swallowed by an Irish tourist in a botched robbery attempt in Turkey's southwest was removed from the man's body with a surgical procedure on Oct. 6.

Ian Campbell, who was holidaying in the Turkish province of Muğla’s Marmaris district, was caught on Oct. 4 after he swallowed a diamond ring worth $40,000 in a jewelry store.

After confessing to the crime, the 54-year-old tourist was taken to a hospital by the police, where he tried to give the ring back “by natural means” on Oct. 5.

Campbell ate, drank, ran and jumped around the hospital corridors with a police escort for more than 36 hours, but his efforts were fruitless.

The police suggested to remove the ring with colonoscopy, but the prosecutor rejected the proposal citing health risks.

The exhausted man then volunteered for the surgery himself, which was conducted at a private hospital in Marmaris early Oct. 6, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.

Police have returned the ring to the jeweler, while Campbell was expected to be sent to the court for trial after he is discharged from the hospital.

The Irish tourist had told in his police testimony that his wife was killed in a car crash, in which their wedding ring was lost. 

“Whenever I see a diamond ring on display at jewelry shops, my wife comes to my mind. I feel a strong urge to take those rings, especially the ones with higher carat diamonds,” Campbell reportedly said.