A Colombian woman has eaten her life savings, swallowing $12,000 in cash to stop her unfaithful husband getting his hands on the money.

Sandra Milena Almeida, 28, had hidden the money in her house after she found out her husband was allegedly cheating on her, Noticias Uno in Colombia reports.

However, her husband found the money and was demanding half of it, so Ms Almeida took the cash and began stuffing $100 notes in her mouth.

“They had a big argument, they were yelling and hitting each other,” the couple’s unidentified housemate told Noticias Uno in Colombia.

“He was shouting that half the money was his, and she was in a fit of rage. That’s when she swallowed the money.’

Ms Almeida was struck down with severe stomach pains the next day and rushed to Santander University Hospital in Bucaramanga for severe stomach pains, BBC reports.

Doctors initially thought Ms Almeida was a drug mule after finding the money inside her digestive system, but dismissed their suspicions when they realised it wasn’t wrapped for transport.

Dr. Juan Paulo Serrano, the hospital’s chief surgeon told Colombia’s Radio Caracol hospital staff had managed to save just over half of the money, $7500, after cleaning off the bills and drying them.