Police in Dubai have prevented an attempt to smuggle a stolen diamond worth $25 million out of the UAE.
The force arrested a gang that had been plotting to steal the 21-carat diamond for more than a year.
The scheme involved identifying the diamond’s owner, a jeweller, and tricking him into believing that a wealthy buyer was interested in purchasing it, Dubai Government Media Office said.
The crooks posed as wealthy individuals by renting luxury cars and arranging meetings at high-end hotels, eventually persuading the merchant to move the diamond out of his secure shop, allowing them to steal it.
Teams from Dubai CID were able to track the three suspects, arrest them and recover the diamond before it left the UAE.
The pink diamond is classified as "fancy intense" and weighs 21.25 carats, the media office said. It has exceptional clarity, symmetry and polish. Its value and rarity made it a prime target, prompting the gang’s elaborate efforts to steal it.
Criminal minds
The merchant imported the diamond from a European country to sell in the UAE, Dubai Police said. The gang had closely monitored its arrival in the country and came up with a plan to steal it.
They arranged met the merchant several times, renting high-end cars, and meeting him at luxurious hotels to convince him of their credibility. They even went as far as hiring a renowned diamond expert to authenticate the stone, further persuading the merchant that they were legitimate business people.
They convinced the merchant to go to a villa under the pretext of introducing him to the buyer. Once the diamond was brought out, they grabbed it and fled.
A task force was formed to identify and locate the three suspects, who had been staying together but separated after the heist, the media office reported. Police teams raided their locations at the same time, apprehending the suspects and recovering the diamond before it could be moved out of the country.
The National has contacted Dubai Police for further comment about the heist.
