Chinese tourist accused of swallowing $13,600 diamond at Sri Lanka fair

[IndoCarib]

(Reuters) - Sri Lankan police arrested a Chinese tourist suspected of swallowing a diamond worth 1.8 million rupees ($13,600) on Wednesday at the island nation's biggest international gem and jewelry exhibition.

Chow Cheng, 32, is believed to have swallowed the diamond as he inspected it at the exhibition, attended by buyers from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, India and Europe, police said.

"His intention was to steal it," Police Spokesman Ajith Rohana told Reuters. "The x-ray shows the diamond is in his throat."

Suresh Christopher Wijekoon, owner of the exhibition stall, said Chow had tried to switch the original diamond with a synthetic one.

"He realized that I noticed it. Then he immediately swallowed it," Wijekoon told Reuters.

The Indian Ocean island is famed for its blue sapphires, diamonds and a jewelry industry that accounted for $532 million of its export revenue in 2011.

Chinese tourist accused of swallowing $13,600 diamond at Sri Lanka fair | Reuters

 

[Hashshāshīn]

"The x-ray shows the diamond is in his throat."
Ouch.

 

[IndoCarib]

Diamonds would have cut through his intestines.

 

[Uchiha]

painful...

 

[bhisma]

Wait for the mourning and the truth will comeout from his A$$..

 

[Paan Singh]

This guy is going to bleed a lot

 

[RPK]

Chinese man 'passes' diamond stolen in Sri Lanka - Sowetan LIVE




Sri Lankan police said they had recovered a stolen diamond worth $13,600 that was swallowed by a Chinese man at a gem exhibition after he was administered a dose of laxatives.


The 32-year-old man swallowed the 1.5-carat diamond when he was standing at a stall at Sri Lanka's annual gem and jewellery show in the capital Colombo.

"He passed the stone this afternoon... and the evidence is now with gem experts," police spokesman Ajith Rohana said, adding a judge had visited the suspect in hospital and remanded him in custody on theft charges.

The man swallowed the diamond valued at $13,600 while showing interest in buying gems from the exhibition stall. He was administered laxatives in hospital.

Police are looking for another Chinese man who fled from the exhibition after the theft was discovered.

Police said the accused had been constantly monitored by armed guards to ensure retrieval of the diamond.

The diamond's owner, Suresh de Silva, of the Belgrade International gem store, said the man had offered to pay for the 7.2mm-diameter stone, but exhibition organisers wanted to press charges.

Sri Lanka does not mine diamonds but it has a large gem and jewellery industry and is famed for its blue sapphires.

 

[ahfatzia]

Sri Lankan diamond saga: Swallowed gem was fake


COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka's diamond-swallowing saga took an unexpected turn Tuesday when police revealed the stone swallowed by a visitor at a gem exhibition was a fake and they are searching for the real stone valued at $13,000.

Police arrested Chou Wan, 32, after a gem owner complained a man had swallowed his 1.5 carat diamond at a jewelry show in Colombo last week. An X-ray taken at a hospital showed the diamond and Chou was given a laxative so the gem could be recovered. The National Gem and Jewelry Authority, which regulates the gem industry, then was asked to inspect the diamond concerned.

Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said the authority informed police the diamond Chou swallowed was fake and had no financial value. He said investigators suspect another Chinese man seen with Chou may have the real diamond worth 1.8 million Sri Lankan rupees ($13,636).

Exhibitor Suresh Wijekoon said two Chinese men were behaving suspiciously at his stalls and he suspected they were trying to switch fake stones to steal the real diamonds. He said one man swallowed a diamond before he alerted the police while the other ran away.

Sri Lanka does not mine diamonds but is renowned for other highly treasured gems. Facets Sri Lanka 2012 is the island nation's annual largest gem and jewelry exhibition and it attracts a large number of local and foreign buyers.

Sri Lankan diamond saga: Swallowed gem was fake - Yahoo! News


Very intrigue! Where is the diamond? What diamond!

 

[Esc8781]

Imagine how is he going to get it out; hard constipation.

 

[ahfatzia]

Imagine how is he going to get it out; hard constipation.

It must been out already otherwise how would they know is fake, and beside, a 11/2 caret jewelry diamond is a size of a pea with no rough edges.

 

[A1Kaid]

This guy is going to bleed a lot

Blood Diamond...