Eastern European diamond thieves arrested in Dubai

Dubai police said Tuesday it has arrested an Eastern European gang for stealing diamonds and gold jewelry worth $3.27 million, state-run news agency WAM reported.

The police team carried out a sting operation codenamed “The Prince” to catch the robbers, the agency said.

The heist, which took place on Dec. 12, was plotted in cooperation with the ring members in Dubai and Paris, the Dubai police general commander revealed in a press conference.

Major General Khamis Matar al-Mazeina said they received information from a vendor at a jewelry shop in Dubai saying that two men came to his shop pretending to be sent by the company's Arab owner in Paris.

The vendor allowed the two robbers to view some jewels after he contacted the company owner in Paris and took his permission, Al Mazeina added.

On their second visit, the robbers were able to pack 6.5kg of gold and diamond jewels, worth $3.3mln, in a diplomatic suitcase. The vendor reportedly received a call from the company owner to hand over the package to them.

According to the deal, the payment was to be received by the company owner in Paris, but the deal collapsed and the robbers vanished with the loot.

Police investigators found that members of the ring in Paris forced the company owner “at gun point” to order the shop vendor over the phone to deliver the jewels to the two robbers.

The company owner was released after his captors were confident that their fellows in Dubai received the suitcase, al-Mazeina said.

Upon his release, the company owner explained the situation to the vendor, and asked him to alert the police about the plot.

The robbers were captured within 72 hours and the stolen items were recovered, al-Mazeina added.