A $25 million pink diamond that was stolen in an elaborate heist in Dubai has been recovered by police simply a few hours later.
The “exceptionally” uncommon diamond was stolen from a jeweler by thieves posing as intermediaries for a potential purchaser, Dubai Police mentioned in a assertion Monday.
Weighing 21.25 carats, the big diamond “boasts exceptional clarity, symmetry, and polish,” and has a distinctive purity score, mentioned police.
Its rarity made it a gorgeous goal for the gang, which police mentioned had labored for greater than a yr to take the stone.
After monitoring the diamond’s arrival in Dubai from Europe, the gang devised a “sophisticated plan,” in order to steal it. The thieves handed themselves off as rich sellers by renting luxurious automobiles and holding conferences in high-end motels. They even went so far as to rent a diamond professional to authenticate the stone, mentioned police.
“Eventually, the gang lured the merchant to a villa under the pretext of introducing him to the ‘buyer,’” reads the police assertion. “Once the diamond was brought out, they nabbed it and fled.”
Nonetheless, police shortly recognized three suspects, tracked them down, and arrested them, recovering the diamond earlier than it could possibly be smuggled out of Dubai.
The jeweler mentioned the velocity of the authorities’ response was “astonishing.”
“To my surprise, the very next morning, they called to say the suspects had been arrested and the diamond recovered,” he mentioned in the police assertion, earlier than urging others in the diamond commerce to observe official security tips set by Dubai authorities.
Dubai has turn out to be a international hub for the diamond commerce in latest years, partly due to its minimal tax calls for and handy location between producer nations in Africa and main gross sales markets reminiscent of India.