Singapore, Sep 1 (PTI) An Indian national was given more than two years’ jail term on Tuesday for his role in stealing a diamond from a jewellery shop in Singapore’s Chinatown precinct, according to a media report.
Serasiya Milan Ramnikbhai, 30, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft with common intention, Channel News Asia reported.
His accomplice, 41-year-old Mangroliya Manojkumar Kurjibha, was handed the same jail term of 26 months and two weeks in July. Both of them have been identified as Indian nationals.
The duo had commissioned a counterfeit diamond in Surat, India, matching the specifications and serial number of the targeted stone, the report said.
Serasiya had hidden the custom-made fake diamond in his mouth, swapped it for the genuine stone
and then concealed the real diamond in his mouth, it said.
Mangroliya had devised the plan, sourced the counterfeit diamond, identified the trader, Dianoche Diamonds Jewellery, for the heist and booked their flights and accommodation, Serasiya’s lawyer Amarick Gill said.
He also instructed Serasiya to conceal the counterfeit diamond in his mouth and make the switch in exchange for money, the lawyer said.
The duo entered Singapore on June 19 with the intention of stealing the 4.95-carat diamond, valued at USD 154,000, or nearly SGD 200,000 at the time, from the shop in Chinatown.
They asked to view the gemstone at around 3 pm, with Mangroliya distracting the sales manager by asking to see several other items.
Serasiya then spat out the fake diamond and switched it with the genuine stone before concealing the latter in his mouth.
His actions were captured on closed-circuit television footage, according to the report.
Mangroliya told the sales manager that he would consider buying the diamond before leaving the shop with Serasiya.
The pair returned to their hotel and booked a flight to India departing that evening. However, the sales manager examined the stone and discovered that it was counterfeit.
The two men were arrested at Singapore’s Changi Airport while trying to clear immigration. The genuine diamond was later recovered from Serasiya’s haversack.
For theft, Serasiya could have been jailed for up to seven years along with a fine, the report said.
Gill argued his client is married and has a six-month-old son, adding that his client owns a small textiles and garments shop alongside being the family’s sole breadwinner.
The lawyer said Mangroliya, who worked in the gem industry, had hatched the plan, while Serasiya had no knowledge of the gem trade.
However, the prosecutor sought the same sentence imposed on Mangroliya based on the principle of parity, saying there was no material difference in their culpability to warrant a different sentence for Serasiya. PTI GS FHK 1.0.0
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