Theft in Mumbai, arrests in Dubai

The four weresuspected to have stolen diamonds worth Dh6.5 million from an international jewellery show in Mumbai.

Police seized diamonds weighing 89 carats from the three Mexicans, including a woman, and a Venezuelan. They were later sent to the airport detention cell.

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A senior police source said the Interpol department of the Dubai Police was coordinating with Indian authorities on sending extradition documents for them to be handed back to Indian police.

Deven Bharti, additional commissioner of police (crime) in Mumbai, told Khaleej Times that the Dubai Police acted swiftly to apprehend the criminals. “Dubai Police were very helpful in nabbing these suspects,” said Bharti. “We are now trying to get them back to Mumbai at the earliest, along with the diamonds and jewellery.”

Vasant Mehta, president, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), said the Interpol was alerted by Mumbai police on Monday night, hours after one of the participants at the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) complained of missing diamonds.

CCTV footage at the IIJS revealed that the four had acted in a suspicious manner at the stall of the Dalumi group. The footage showed one of them picking up a box containing loose diamonds and depositing it in into her bag.

Mehta said the manager of the firm lodged a police complaint at night about the missing diamonds. The incident had occurred in the evening, when the last of the visitors were leaving the exhibition on the final day. Security was beefed up and all the visitors were thoroughly frisked.

However, the four foreigners went straight to the international airport, just a few kilometres from the exhibition venue and caught a flight to Dubai, en route to Europe.

“The Mumbai Police acted swiftly after getting the CCTV footage,” said Mehta. After getting a confirmation from the immigration that the four foreigners had left for Dubai, they alerted the Interpol and Dubai Police through the federal agencies in Delhi, and also the Indian missions in the UAE and Mexico.

Thousands of visitors attended the IIJS, one of the largest diamond and jewellery exhibitions in the world. There was high security at the event as millions of dollars worth of jewellery were on display at the show.

According to the organisers of the event, all domestic visitors had to submit copies of their identification documents, including income-tax cards. International visitors had to give copies of their passports.

The four suspects visited the stall towards the end of the exhibition. While the three men discussed various aspects of the diamonds that were on display, the woman allegedly hid a box containing 887 carat diamonds in her bag. The employee did not notice it.

However, when he began doing an inventory of the diamonds, he found the packet missing and alerted his seniors. GJEPC officials directed the company executives to immediately lodge a police complaint.

CCTV footage from the camera placed outside the stall revealed hazy images of the four visitors. But by the time they were identified from their passports and the immigration officials approached, the four had flown off to Dubai.

Meanwhile, the authorities in Mumbai have also obtained non-bailable warrants against the four suspects from a local court.