Man on diamond diet' nabbed

28 October 2010 02:51 am - 16 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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A Sri Lankan who had 2,060 pieces of diamonds and other precious stones lodged in his stomach was arrested from the Chennai airport by the central crime branch of the suburban police. The stones, estimated to be worth between Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 3 crore, were recovered.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Chennai suburban police commissioner S R Jangid said he received a call on Tuesday morning from a reliable informant that the man was travelling to Chennai on an Air India flight. "That was the only information available and no other clue, but we zeroed in on him as soon as he came out of the airport and tried to board a taxi,'' he said.

The Lankan, identified as Mohamed Rafi (35), who arrived from Colombo on Tuesday morning, had successfully cleared the customs and immigration. A team led by assistant commissioner of police S Jayakumar picked up Rafi who was carrying two hand bags, but the search of the bags proved futile.

Rafi was then confronted by the sleuths but he maintained that he was innocent. He was even warned that he would be subjected to medical test. The police commissioner said that even during questioning, Rafi could not sit comfortably and when questioned, he told the police that he was suffering from piles. The police, who grew suspicious, took him to Chromepet Government Hospital. When doctors examined him, they found the stones lodged in his gut.

Displaying the stones, Jangid said Rafi had a valid passport and was acting as a human courier and was paid only Rs 10,000 for the job. He had stored the precious stones in 42 condoms and had swallowed all of them. It took the police six hours to retrieve the stones after they fed him with laxatives and bananas.

Rafi is a native of Galle and had done three such runs to Chennai from Colombo in the past but his luck ran out during his fourth attempt. He told the police that he was to book into a lodge in Mannady and that someone was to come over to collect the stones. He told the police that on previous occasions, three persons named Kumar, Rafiq and Sabir had collected the consignments.

V Varadharaju, deputy commissioner of police, said Rafi had confessed to swallowing the stones at 4 am on Tuesday before boarding the 6.30 am flight from Colombo. He would be handed over to the customs who would probe his international links, police said.

Source: The Times of India

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Comments - 16

DHA Thursday, 28 October 2010 03:14 AM

WOW....very creative....

inthi Thursday, 28 October 2010 03:21 AM

More than creativity....all these methods have been shown to us through tamil & Hindi movies!! & through some English movies like catch me if you can!

Calistus Jayatilleke Thursday, 28 October 2010 03:24 AM

So, Diamonds are a man's best friend too !

Chow Chow Thursday, 28 October 2010 03:31 AM

Diamonds are for ever even after from where they emerge.

Mushi Thursday, 28 October 2010 05:43 AM

This is how many gem businessmen in SL export gems to India, Indonesia etc. without declaring to customs and those gem merchants are so rich due to this reason. Govt should impose more taxes on these gem merchants as they deprive govt of taxes.

JD Thursday, 28 October 2010 05:45 AM

I think the Immigration/ Airport personnel of SL should now be attentive on such cases which would happen here. Hope they would take necessary action to avoid such guys pass through the airport. further we are happy the Airport & Immigration have upgraded their service by networking.

lankaputha Thursday, 28 October 2010 06:08 AM

Problem is, these Gems are now a property of India. we not only lost the export taxes, but the entire value.
Sri Lanka should screen and scan the people when they are going out, as well coming in. Let the people go out with drugs as it brings money to SL. Let the people go out with fake foriegn currency as it brings real currency to the country.

Upul Premarathne Thursday, 28 October 2010 06:34 AM

Come on, the culprit might stand a chance to enter the Guinness Book of World Record for taking the most expensive diet.

Faqi Thursday, 28 October 2010 06:45 AM

This is nothing new.' Drug Mules ' as they are called from Colombia transport cocaine to the US & EU in the same manner by swallowing cocaine packets inside condoms then boarding a plane. A few years ago there was a case of one of them dying, a packet burst inside the stomach and poisoned the individual.

Chow Chow Thursday, 28 October 2010 07:00 AM

Nonsense. How much diamonds to be we produce in Sri Lanka?

Such Thursday, 28 October 2010 07:22 AM

Wooo!! Check out the Indian cop's moustache!! Quite villanous dont you think?!;)

Izy Thursday, 28 October 2010 09:06 AM

So ur a gem merchant who is jealous of others making a living I mean the carrier, he is paid only 10000 by BOSSES like u. Do u obey the law to the letter like not speeding in ur BMW and not tinting too?

Izy Thursday, 28 October 2010 09:09 AM

seeing his musto the guy may have confessed......

xlntgson Thursday, 28 October 2010 10:24 AM

An Indian policeman having longest moustache is world guiness record holder, more over why @Izy is so scared of moustaches, is he a crow-scare? I saw in a Sinhala newspaper a school boy was severely beaten by a male teacher for having a big moustache! Why everybody is so scared of moustaches ! Now every other masculine faculty is encroached by women through gender equality!

Afker Hussain Thursday, 28 October 2010 11:06 AM

They all look like Veerappan the late notorious jungle bandit who struck terror between the Tamil Nadu & Karnataka Border.

srilal Thursday, 28 October 2010 12:21 PM

there should be 3420 pcs.....

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Man on diamond diet' nabbed

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