Indian man gets 26 months jail for stealing diamond via mouth-swap heist

A Singapore court sentenced an Indian national to 26 months and two weeks in jail after he stole a diamond worth US$154,000 by hiding a fake stone in his mouth, swapping it with the genuine gem at a Chinatown jeweller, and concealing the real diamond the same way.

Serasiya Milan Ramnikbhai, 30, pleaded guilty to theft with common intention. His co-accused, 41-year-old Mangroliya Manojkumar Kurjibha, received an identical jail term in July.

Pre-planned switch in India

The two men had commissioned a counterfeit diamond in Surat, India, replicating both the specifications and serial number of the stone they intended to steal. Mangroliya formed the plan, arranged for the fake diamond, identified the target trader Dianoche Diamonds Jewelry, and booked flights and accommodation, according to Serasiya's lawyer Amarick Gill.

The theft occurred at the Chinatown jeweller, and both men were apprehended at the airport following the robbery. The method, concealing the counterfeit in the mouth during the viewing, executing the switch, then hiding the authentic stone identically, allowed the pair to walk out with the valuable gem undetected until their arrest.

The case underscores the lengths to which organised thieves will go, pre-fabricating evidence-grade fakes abroad and exploiting the trust inherent in high-value gem transactions.

Source: South China Morning Post