Locals Help Police Crackdown on Diamond Smugglers
July 07, 21
(IDEX Online) - Police seized diamonds worth $33,000 from smugglers in the central Indian town of Gariyaband after enlisting the help of residents.
The area is well known for its for diamondiferous kimberlite rocks.
Officers encouraged locals to provide information on illegal digging, and as a result they confiscated 221 rough stones, according to The New Indian Express.
It quoted district police chief Bhojram Patel, who said: "The unscrupulous offenders from within and outside the state were seen involved in frantic digging in search of precious stones as this part of India has vast deposits of diamondiferous kimberlite rocks.
"We strengthened our information network which helped us in a big way to nab the major players in the diamond smuggling network."