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Thieves Snatch 20-Carat Diamond at Vegas Show
They used the distraction technique to pull off the jewelry theft Saturday afternoon at one of the trade shows.
Las Vegas--Two men working in tandem stole a 20-carat diamond from an exhibitor’s booth in Las Vegas, the Jewelers Security Alliance said in an alert issued Thursday afternoon.
It is the biggest jewelry theft at a trade show so far this year, and one of the largest in recent years.
The incident began just before 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 2 at the booth of an “international diamond exhibitor” at one of the jewelry trade shows. (The JSA does not disclose the victim’s name or the name of the trade show in cases such as this.)
The two suspects, pictured below, approached the booth and were able to reach over the showcase and slide it open while employees weren’t looking because it was not locked.
About 10 minutes later, the pair came back and entered the booth. While one suspect chatted with the exhibitor at a table, the second man moved to the corner of the booth and took a 20-carat diamond from the open showcase.
JSA President John J. Kennedy said Thursday that he does not have a grading report from the diamond, so neither a price estimate nor additional details about the stone are available at this time.
He added that this is the largest jewelry theft at a trade show so far this year and one of the largest he knows of in recent years.
The JSA reminds exhibitors not to leave showcases unlocked at jewelry trade shows, expect when actually taking out merchandise or putting it back in.
They also need to have enough personnel at their booths so they can keep an eye on everyone at all times.
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