Two men arrested after allegedly swapping diamond worth over S$235,000 with fake at a store

Two men arrested after allegedly swapping diamond worth over S$235,000 with fake at a store The suspects were arrested at Changi Airport Terminal 3 within three hours of the report being made, with the stolen diamond recovered and seized. SINGAPORE: Two men were arrested on Friday (Jun 19) for allegedly stealing a diamond worth over S$235,000 (US$182,000) from a jewellery store after replacing it with a fake. In a news release on Saturday, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it received a call for assistance at about 3.40pm on Friday and was informed that a diamond had been stolen from a jewellery store along Kreta Ayer Road. The men, aged 30 and 42, were arrested at Changi Airport Terminal 3 within three hours of the report. The stolen diamond was recovered and seized, said the police. Preliminary investigations revealed that the two men had shown interest in purchasing the diamond while at the store. "As they were examining the diamond, they replaced it with a fake one. "The pair subsequently left the shop without making any purchases, which aroused the suspicion of the shop assistant," said SPF. Upon conducting a check, the assistant discovered that the genuine diamond had been replaced, the police said. The men will be charged in court on Saturday with theft in a dwelling with common intention. If found guilty, they could face a jail term of up to seven years and a fine. The police said they have zero tolerance for such crimes and that they "will spare no effort to apprehend offenders and deal with them in accordance with the law". SPF also advised shop owners selling luxury items to be vigilant against criminals with a similar modus operandi and guard against thefts involving sleight of hand.