Two male suspects, accused of swapping a genuine three-carat
diamond with a replica at Macao's first international jewelry and
watch fair earlier in January, were remanded on custody pending
court trial, according to a press statement released on
Tuesday.
The Public Prosecutions Office of the Macao Special
Administrative Region government said in the statement that, on
Jan. 10, the duo tricked a Hong Kong exhibitor at the Macao Jewelry
and Watch Fair to show them two diamonds, and swapped one of the
three-carats, worth 470,000 patacas (around 58,000 U.S. dollars),
with a replica while the exhibitor was away to fetch some
information paper of the diamond.
The two suspects were arrested at the fair after the exhibitor
soon realized the switch and called the police, the prosecutions
office said.
The replica was of high quality and only professionals could
identify the difference between it and the genuine one, according
to the statement
Police will further investigate if the duo were involved in
similar cases before.
(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2008)