Latest news with #pinkdiamond
Times
2 hours ago
- Times
The $25m pink diamond scam: luxury cars and fake buyers
Dubai police have arrested a gang of criminals who posed as wealthy clients to steal a rare pink diamond worth $25 million from a jeweller. The three men had tracked the import of the diamond from Europe to Dubai, renting luxury cars and meeting the jeweller in hotels while posing as intermediaries for a wealthy buyer. As part of their ruse, the gang hired a diamond expert to examine the gem, in an effort to convince the jeweller of their seriousness. They lured him to a villa in Dubai to meet the supposed client, and stole the stone on his arrival. Police said the group planned to smuggle the gemstone to an Asian country in a small refrigerator. The pink diamond, which Dubai police said was incredibly rare, has been retrieved. CCTV images show the suspects entering the jeweller's premises CCTV shows one of the men at the jewellery shop before the planned theft In a statement, police said: 'As soon as the merchant reported the theft, a specialised task force was formed to identify and locate the three suspects, who initially lived together but separated after the heist and moved to different locations. Dubai police teams raided these locations simultaneously, apprehended the suspects, and recovered the diamond before it could leave the country.' According to officials, the 21.5-carat intense pink gem 'boasts exceptional clarity, symmetry, and polish, with an Excellent rating. Its extraordinary value and rarity made it a prime target, prompting the gang's elaborate efforts over an extended period.' Reports suggest the diamond is so rare, there is a '0.01 per cent' chance of finding another like it. Police entering the home of one of the suspects. The men were arrested at separate locations Such crimes are relatively uncommon in Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates that attracts millions of tourists each year with its glitzy nightlife and beaches. The country prides itself on being one of the world's safest, combining a laissez-faire approach to expatriates with strict laws on theft and drug use. Pink diamonds were historically mined in Australia's Argyle mine, which produced about 90 per cent of the world's supply before its closure in 2020. This is not the first time the scarcity of pink diamonds has tempted thieves. In the 1980s, a criminal network smuggled tens of millions of dollars worth of pink diamonds from the Argyle mine over five years, in what came to be known as the Pink Diamond Heist. Many of them have never been recovered.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Thieves steal pink diamond worth $25 million, caught hours later
Dubai police said on Monday they caught three thieves just hours after they stole a precious pink diamond worth $25 million. "The Dubai Police General Command has foiled the theft of a very rare pink diamond, valued at $25 million," the police said in a statement shared by the United Arab Emirates' official news agency WAM. A diamond trader who had brought the jewel from Europe was lured to a villa by a crime gang under the pretense of a viewing by a potential wealthy client, police said. But the gem was stolen when the diamond dealer arrived for the bogus inspection, the statement added. "I just had a problem," a man can be heard saying on an emergency call released by the Dubai Media Office. "I came to meet a client to sell a diamond to them. They looked at the stone and now ... it's stolen." Within eight hours three people from an unspecified Asian country were arrested "thanks to the efforts of specialized and field teams, and by using the latest artificial intelligence technologies," police said. Video footage shared by the Dubai Media Office showed the three men with their faces blurred after their arrest as well as CCTV footage of the gang. Dubai is an important hub for diamond trading. Tightly controlled and policed, the UAE prides itself on its security and stability. The heist came just days after police said a group of thieves stole $2 million of merchandise from a family-owned jewelry store in Seattle in a daylight robbery that took only 90 seconds. Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan on the Trump-Putin summit, sanctions and more Laufey on creating her own sound A robotics activist's remarkable crusade Solve the daily Crossword
News24
4 hours ago
- News24
Dubai police retrieve stolen diamond worth $25 million
Dubai police said on Monday that they caught three thieves just hours after they stole a $25 million pink diamond. 'The Dubai Police General Command has foiled the theft of a very rare pink diamond, valued at $25 million,' the police said in a statement shared by the United Arab Emirates' official news agency WAM. A diamond trader who had brought the jewel from Europe was lured to a villa by a crime gang under the pretence of a viewing by a potential wealthy client, police said. But the gem was stolen when the diamond dealer arrived for the bogus inspection, the statement added. Within eight hours, three people from an unspecified Asian country were arrested 'thanks to the efforts of specialised and field teams, and by using the latest artificial intelligence technologies,' police said. The Dubai Media Office shared video footage of the three men with their faces blurred after their arrest, as well as CCTV footage of the gang. Dubai is an important hub for diamond trading. Tightly controlled and policed, the UAE prides itself on its security and stability.
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Thieves steal pink diamond worth $25 million in Dubai, then are caught hours later
Dubai police said on Monday they caught three thieves just hours after they stole a precious pink diamond worth $25 million. "The Dubai Police General Command has foiled the theft of a very rare pink diamond, valued at $25 million," the police said in a statement shared by the United Arab Emirates' official news agency WAM. A diamond trader who had brought the jewel from Europe was lured to a villa by a crime gang under the pretense of a viewing by a potential wealthy client, police said. But the gem was stolen when the diamond dealer arrived for the bogus inspection, the statement added. "I just had a problem," a man can be heard saying on an emergency call released by the Dubai Media Office. "I came to meet a client to sell a diamond to them. They looked at the stone and now ... it's stolen." Within eight hours three people from an unspecified Asian country were arrested "thanks to the efforts of specialized and field teams, and by using the latest artificial intelligence technologies," police said. Video footage shared by the Dubai Media Office showed the three men with their faces blurred after their arrest as well as CCTV footage of the gang. Dubai is an important hub for diamond trading. Tightly controlled and policed, the UAE prides itself on its security and stability. The heist came just days after police said a group of thieves stole $2 million of merchandise from a family-owned jewelry store in Seattle in a daylight robbery that took only 90 seconds.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- CTV News
Dubai police retrieve stolen diamond worth US$25 million
Police in Dubai say they thwarted an attempted theft of an exceptionally rare pink diamond valued at US$25 million. (Dubai Media Office) Dubai police said on Monday they caught three thieves just hours after they stole a precious pink diamond worth US$25 million. 'The Dubai Police General Command has foiled the theft of a very rare pink diamond, valued at $25 million,' the police said in a statement shared by the United Arab Emirates' official news agency WAM. A diamond trader who had brought the jewel from Europe was lured to a villa by a crime gang under the pretence of a viewing by a potential wealthy client, police said. But the gem was stolen when the diamond dealer arrived for the bogus inspection, the statement added. Within eight hours three people from an unspecified Asian country were arrested 'thanks to the efforts of specialised and field teams, and by using the latest artificial intelligence technologies,' police said. Video footage shared by the Dubai Media Office showed the three men with their faces blurred after their arrest as well as CCTV footage of the gang. Dubai Police thwarts an attempted theft of an exceptionally rare pink diamond valued at 25 million US dollars. The group of three individuals of Asian nationality were apprehended within eight hours.@DubaiPoliceHQ — Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) August 18, 2025 Dubai is an important hub for diamond trading. Tightly controlled and policed, the UAE prides itself on its security and stability.
