SA KAEO – Three Chinese men have been detained at the border while trying to cross it to Cambodia, allegedly for stealing a large diamond worth over one million baht from a jewellery fair.
Pol Col Pairach Pookcharoen, superintendent of Sa Kaeo immigration police, said the three men had entered Thailand from Hong Kong two days ago before stealing the diamond from a gems trader showcasing products at the 55th Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi on Tuesday morning.
The three men were arrested with a five-carat diamond worth approximately 1.2 million baht while they were about to cross the border at the Aranyaprathet checkpoint to Cambodia’s Poipet.
Pak Kret police were reported about the missing diamond around noon on Tuesday. An Indian trader at the fair told them three men had asked to see the five-carat diamond on the first day of the fair. They decided not to buy and returned it. His shop later found the returned diamond was fake.
According to police intelligence, the men might cross the border in Aranyaprathet so immigration police in the district were alerted about them.