Dubai police act swift, solve $25-million diamond heist in hours

International

THE theft of one of the world’s rarest diamonds in Dubai turned short-lived after police tracked down the suspects and recovered the $25 million gem in hours.

The 21.25-carat pink diamond, which police described as having “exceptional clarity, symmetry, and polish,” was stolen from a jeweler by thieves posing as brokers for a potential buyer.

Investigators said the stone’s purity and rarity made it an irresistible target for the gang, which allegedly spent more than a year preparing the theft.

According to police, the suspects followed the diamond’s journey from Europe to Dubai before putting their plan into action. They rented luxury cars, booked meetings in upscale hotels, and even hired a diamond expert to authenticate the stone in an effort to pass as genuine dealers.

The jeweler was eventually invited to a villa under the pretense of meeting a buyer. “Once the diamond was brought out, they nabbed it and fled,” the police statement said, as quoted by CNN.

Authorities swiftly identified three suspects, arrested them, and recovered the diamond before it could be smuggled out of the country.

The jeweler praised the rapid response by police.

“To my surprise, the very next morning, they called to say the suspects had been arrested and the diamond recovered,” he said in the same report, while urging others in the trade to follow Dubai’s official security guidelines.(MyTVCebu)