Hong Kong should probably just stop hosting gem fairs.
In the latest of a long string of high value thefts, police have revealed that diamonds and jewels worth more than HKD5 million were stolen in 12 separate thefts at the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair in Wan Chai yesterday.
Five women and two men, all hailing from mainland China, have been arrested, while police continue to scrutinise CCTV footage in an attempt to identify more suspects who remain at large.
Although four attempts were thwarted, eight thefts resulted in losses totalling HKD5.6 million, reports the SCMP. One saw a diamond worth HKD1 million disappear in an apparent sleight of hand.
Police believe the crimes are the work of a mainland syndicate who used the women in the gang to distract staff members while real gems were swapped for fakes.
Just three months ago, four women from the mainland were arrested at the International Jewellery Show at AsiaWorld-Expo in Lantau after two three-carat diamonds were switched with fakes.
A 4.8-carat diamond also suffered the same fate at Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair in September.
Photo: Swamibu, Wikicommons
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