Chinese couple held under suspicion of stealing 10-million baht diamond

[webfact]

Chinese couple held under suspicion of stealing 10-million baht diamond

BANGKOK: -- Two Chinese nationals who were suspected to have stolen a 10-million baht worth of diamond from the jewelry fair at Muang Thong Thani on Thursday have been stopped and detained at Suvarnabhumi international airport by immigration police.

The two, identified as Hae Ying, 30, and Mrs Jiang Xulian, 30, denied the accusation claiming that they were just tourists and were about to travel back home in China.

Thorough searches of their bodies and baggages did not locate the stolen 6-kiarat diamond. But an employee of a jewelry booth at the fair who filed complaint to Pakkred police in Nonthaburi told immigration police that the two Chinese were at her both and asked to see the lost diamond.

Video footage from the CCTV at Challenger building where the Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair is currently being held showed the two Chinese at the booth.

Ms Manthana Weyakaew who manned the booth told police that the couple came to her booth and asked to see the diamond and then asked about the price. After a while, they returned her the diamond and left, said Ms Manthana, adding that she found out the returned diamond was a fake.

Another Video footage found the couple left the building and hailed a taxi.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/chinese-couple-held-under-suspicion-of-stealing-10-million-baht-diamond


-- Thai PBS 2015-09-11

[clockman]

The scammers have been scammed! Remember the Saudi blue diamond.

Edited September 11, 2015 by clockman

[zaphod reborn]

You hand a 10 million baht diamond over to a customer, and allow it to leave your sight, so that you can't tell if it was exchanged with a fake? Some people don't deserve to be in the jewelry business.

[thesetat2013]

More quality tourists TAT keeps looking for????

[Lukecan]

I thought scamming was a thai only profession

[webfact]

Chinese pair nabbed over stolen diamond
Supachai Sinprasert
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- TWO Chinese have been arrested for allegedly stealing a diamond worth over Bt10 million from the Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair.

An exhibitor at the fair reported the alleged theft on Thursday, the first day of the five-day fair.

Based on CCTV footage, police quickly obtained arrest warrants and alerted immigration police.

The two suspects were nabbed while preparing to board a flight at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday. They denied any wrongdoing.

"They asked to see a diamond piece in our show cabinet," Mantana Wiyakaew, a sales assistant at the exhibition, told police.

"After discussing the price for a while, they returned the 'diamond' piece to me. I checked the diamond and found that the returned piece is a fake."

The sales assistant was able to identify the suspects but officials could not find the missing diamond.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Chinese-pair-nabbed-over-stolen-diamond-30268592.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-11

[Thai at Heart]

Every year.....

[Sviss Geez]

The scammers have been scammed! Remember the Saudi blue diamond.

What scam was the owner perpetrating?

I'm sure many of us remember the Saudi incident but what has that to do with this alleged theft by two Chinese?

[Sviss Geez]

You hand a 10 million baht diamond over to a customer, and allow it to leave your sight, so that you can't tell if it was exchanged with a fake? Some people don't deserve to be in the jewelry business.

So you know a way of selling a high value item without allowing the customer with a sleight-of-hand skill to handle it? The fact that she had a 10 million baht diamond for sale suggests that she probably did deserve to be in the business.

[Pakaty]

Maybe the jeweler was scammed and the diamond was a fake to begin with. Trying to recoup the money via insurance. I wonder if it was insured. Hell, it could have been real and still trying to collect. Nah, the Chinese couple did it. Thai jewelers are known the world over for their high moral fiber, not scams.

Armchair detective here. Indubitably my dear Watson.

Edited September 11, 2015 by Pakaty

[zaphod reborn]

You hand a 10 million baht diamond over to a customer, and allow it to leave your sight, so that you can't tell if it was exchanged with a fake? Some people don't deserve to be in the jewelry business.

So you know a way of selling a high value item without allowing the customer with a sleight-of-hand skill to handle it? The fact that she had a 10 million baht diamond for sale suggests that she probably did deserve to be in the business.

Considering there has been a series of these types of theft by a Chinese gang, a warning has been issued to jewelry sellers to employ additional security and keep customers who are shown valuable jewelry under watch.

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1727593/four-mainland-chinese-women-held-diamonds-worth-hk15m-stolen

Apparently, neither you, nor this person you think "deserves" to be in business, got the memo.

[Lite Beer]

Chinese pair nabbed over stolen diamond
Supachai Sinprasert
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- TWO Chinese have been arrested for allegedly stealing a diamond worth over Bt10 million from the Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair.

An exhibitor at the fair reported the alleged theft on Thursday, the first day of the five-day fair.

Based on CCTV footage, police quickly obtained arrest warrants and alerted immigration police.

The two suspects were nabbed while preparing to board a flight at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday. They denied any wrongdoing.

"They asked to see a diamond piece in our show cabinet," Mantana Wiyakaew, a sales assistant at the exhibition, told police. "After discussing the Bt10-million price for a while, they returned the 'diamond' piece to me. I checked the diamond and found that the returned piece is a fake."

The sales assistant was able to identify the suspects but officials could not find the missing diamond. Police are investigating further, relying on witnesses and CCTV footage.

Central Institute of Forensic Science's spokesman Dr Suranarong Srisuwan said the DNA swabs from the suspects were now being examined with other items of evidence.

"The results should come out in a week," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Chinese-pair-nabbed-over-stolen-diamond-30268654.html

-- The Nation 2015-09-12

[Somtamnication]

Wait 48 hours and see if it "comes" out.

[arthurboy]

So, a well planned theft then given that the returned 'fake' diamond would have had to have been pretty much the same shape, size, weight, cut and colour for the shop staff not to have immediately noticed.

Plus the fact, that to prepare such a remarkable replica, the alleged thieves would have had to have seen the diamond first, assess its characteristics and then nip off someone to get the fake made. I'm sure the CCTV records from the previous few hours will reverify any previous visit to the shop.

Edited September 11, 2015 by arthurboy

[Seastallion]

So, a well planned theft then given that the returned 'fake' diamond would have had to have been pretty much the same shape, size, weight, cut and colour for the shop staff not to have immediately noticed.

Plus the fact, that to prepare such a remarkable replica, the alleged thieves would have had to have seen the diamond first, assess its characteristics and then nip off someone to get the fake made. I'm sure the CCTV records from the previous few hours will reverify any previous visit to the shop.

A diamond of that size may well have featured in a catalogue.

I hope they are screening the toilet waste in the holding cells. Best get an x-ray done as soon as possible.

Edited September 12, 2015 by Seastallion

[Acharn]

Central Institute of Forensic Science's spokesman Dr Suranarong Srisuwan said the DNA swabs from the suspects were now being examined with other items of evidence.

Just pathetic. Obviously the reporter, the editor, the Thai public, and probably the police, have no clue about what DNA is or how it might be used as an investigative tool. They all seem to think it's some kind of magic. Hmmmm. Come to think of it probably many of the highest ranking policemen believe a maw duu can solve cases for them. They certainly schedule important events and furnish their offices according to the recommendations of astrologers. They already have video evidence that the couple examined the jewelry (the story is not at all clear if this was a necklace or a loose diamond). What further information is DNA going to give them?

Edited September 12, 2015 by Acharn

[tominbkk]

The scammers have been scammed! Remember the Saudi blue diamond.

And remember who was caught wearing said diamond!

[Lupatria]

Maybe they are in some kind of competition to become "China's first Quality Tourist in Thailand". After previous "ideas" of the TAT I wouldn't be surprised. And 10 Mio. would qualify them.

[Bluespunk]

You hand a 10 million baht diamond over to a customer, and allow it to leave your sight, so that you can't tell if it was exchanged with a fake? Some people don't deserve to be in the jewelry business.

So you know a way of selling a high value item without allowing the customer with a sleight-of-hand skill to handle it? The fact that she had a 10 million baht diamond for sale suggests that she probably did deserve to be in the business.

From the admittedly limited pictures I've seen she seems to be watching them very closely.

The chinese couple just happened to be better. Clearly very skilled at the slight of hand required to make such a switch.

If they did commit the crime that is.

[Ulic]

With a diamond of this value it should be tested before it is handed to the potential customers

and tested again as it is returned to the sales person. That way the customers know they have

an authentic diamond, and the sales person has had that diamond returned. High speed HD

cameras should cover the inspection counter from several angles. Then there would be other

less chance of thefts/scams.

[Lite Beer]

Chinese tourists confess to swallow stolen diamond

BANGKOK: -- The two Chinese tourists arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport while trying to board a flight back home yesterday have confessed to steal a 6-carat diamond from an exhibition booth at the Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair in Muangthongthani Exhibition Centre.

The two tourists, Hae Ying, 34, and Mrs Jiang Xulian, 39, earlier denied the accusation claiming that they were just tourists and were about to travel back home in China.

But after they were taken for X-rays, the diamond was shown in the digestive system of a suspect.

The couple later confessed, and were escorted back to Pak Kred police station for examination to take it out yesterday.

Both admitted to have flown in to the country for theft at the diamond fair.

They have prepared duplicate diamond to replace the real diamond while asking to see it from the booth employee.

The diamond is priced at 10 million baht.

Tourism police chief Police Maj Gen Suphapol Arunsit said the theft was suspected to be conducted by the well planned gang comprising more than two persons.

The gang was believed to commit the crime in many countries before, he added.

Earlier an employee of a jewellery booth Ms Manthana Weyakaew filed complaint to Pak Kred police in Nonthaburi that a 6-carat diamond was stolen and she suspected that a Chinese couple who asked to see the diamond might steal it.

According to her, the couple came to her booth and asked to see the diamond and then asked about the price. After a while, they returned her the diamond and left, said Ms Manthana, adding that she found out the returned diamond was a fake.

Immigration offices at the airports were later alerted as video footage shown the couple at the booth, and another footage found the couple left the building and hailed a taxi.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/chinese-tourists-confess-to-swallow-stolen-diamond

-- Thai PBS 2015-09-12

[amerasianex]

Welcome to TAT. Definition of quality

I'm so happy the shoe is finally on the other foot No way Thailand can be prepared for what's about to happen as soon asASEAN is open...lol

[Friendly Stranger]

Wait 48 hours and see if it "comes" out.

You called it.

Now as for tomorrow's lottery numbers....

[Friendly Stranger]

That was close. Imagine their feeling when they were denied departure. Oh so close.

[northernphil]

All over soon when it will become just a flash in the pan.

[ikke]

Another case of the PM his quality tourists...... bombing, stealing.... high quality i must say.....

[PaPiPuPePo]

I figured right off that it was an "inside job." Interesting that they took that precaution (the article is vague about which end of the "digestive system" it entered from), but didn't disguise themselves at all during the heist.

As to scammers and scamming, no place I've been matches mainland China for either. This type of case is likely to continue and increase in number.

[Monkeyrobot]

Maybe a 1 million not a 10 million that's 300,000 U.S.

[remaxtony]

Maybe a 1 million not a 10 million that's 300,000 U.S.

It said it was a 6 karat diamond, I guess it's possible because I don't believe there are many diamonds that big for only 1 million baht.

[soalbundy]

hope it scratches when it comes out