From swallowing rocks to ramming jewellery stores, a 20-year timeline of daring Dubai heists

The National

13 hours ago

Dubai, long known as one of the world's leading hubs for luxury jewellery, has also witnessed daring diamond thefts over the past two decades.
From smash-and-grab raids to elaborate deception schemes, these high-profile cases remain etched in the city's crime history.
While such cases have captured global headlines, Dubai Police stress that jewellery store robberies are exceptionally rare in the emirate, thanks to strict security measures and using advanced technology in tracking the crooks.
Dubai Police recently prevented an attempt to smuggle a stolen diamond worth $25 million out of the UAE after arresting a trio that had been plotting to steal the 21-carat pink diamond for more than a year. They conned the jeweller by posing as wealthy buyers interested in purchasing it.
The pink diamond is classified as fancy intense and weighs 21.25 carats, has an exceptional clarity, symmetry and polish.
Teams from Dubai police were able to track the three suspects, arrest them and recover the diamond in eight hours from receiving the emergency report. Here is a list of famous diamond heists in the emirate.
Diamond necklace (2022)
On July 3, 2022, two men, from Eastern Europe, were arrested over the theft of a diamond necklace worth Dh1.7 million in a night-time raid at a luxury hotel in the Al Sufouh area.
The pair wore wigs, face masks and used a glass cutter during the theft at the hotel's jewellery shop. They were stopped by officials as they tried to board a flight out of Dubai airport only hours later.
Blue diamond smuggling case in 2018
On May 25, 2018, Dubai Police cracked a major case involving a rare 9.33-carat blue diamond worth $20 million (Dh73.4million).
A security guard working for a company in a free zone stole the gem and passed it to a relative, who smuggled it to Sri Lanka hidden in a shoe box by sea. Following an intensive cross-border investigation, the diamond was traced and recovered, and the suspects were arrested.
Dubai Police investigators analysed 8,620 hours of CCTV footage and questioned 120 people, eventually leading to the suspect's arrest and recovered the blue stone, named Brilliant.
Gold Souk distraction theft (2018)
On October 22, 2018, a daring distraction theft unfolded at the Gold Souk in Deira area. An Asian woman grabbed a 3.27-carat diamond worth about Dh300,000 and swallowed it in an attempt to smuggle it out.
The thieves distracted a shopkeeper before swiftly making off. The woman and her partner fled the country, but were arrested within 24 hours in India and later extradited to the UAE. The stolen stone was recovered.
Wafi Mall smash-and-grab (2007)
One of Dubai's most infamous robberies took place in April 2007, when members of the notorious Pink Panthers gang stormed the Graff jewellery boutique at Wafi City Mall.
Using two stolen Audi cars, the gang rammed through the glass entrance and escaped with diamonds and jewellery worth nearly Dh14.7 million. The thieves torched their getaway vehicles and fled, sparking an international investigation that later led to multiple arrests.