Dubai Police Recover Stolen $25m Pink Diamond
August 18, 25
(IDEX Online) - Police in Dubai recovered a $25m pink diamond, just hours after it was stolen in an elaborate sting operation.
A gang tricked the diamond trader owner into taking the 21.25-carat fancy intense VVS1 stone out of secure storage to a villa, where they introduced him to a "potential buyer", together with an expert gemologist to evaluate the stone.
Posing as wealthy individuals, they'd hired luxury cars and stayed in high-end hotels to win the owner's trust over many months.
Dubai Police yesterday (18 August) released a recording of the owner calling to report the diamond had been stolen.
"I came to meet a client to sell a diamond to them," he said. "They looked at the stone and now they say the stone is not with them any more."
"How much the price for the diamond," the operator asked. "$25m," he replied.
Within eight hours police located the stolen gem, inside a small fridge destined for an Asian country, and arrested three Asian suspects.
Pics courtesy Dubai Police shows surveillance TV of the suspects, and the stolen diamond.