SHENZHEN: Customs officials in Shenzhen city, southern China’s Guangdong Province, have solved 164 diamond smuggling cases during the first five months this year. The cases, involving an estimated 10 million yuan (1.5 million U.S. dollars) of smuggled diamonds, saw the gemstones hidden in underpants, socks, snack food packs and cigarettes boxes. Officials with Luohu Port Customs recalled once discovering over 1,000 small diamonds weighing 163.8 carats in several packs of nuts in the baggage of a young woman. Another time, a man was found hiding 33.4 carats of diamonds wrapped in Hong Kong dollars in his trouser pockets.
One man was caught hiding 60.27 carats of diamonds in a hidden pocket in his underpants, with a further 8.3 carats placed in his right sock. In a further three cases, suspects hid a total of 746.9 carats of diamonds in their shoe soles. Customs officials said some of the people helped others smuggle the diamonds to gain money, while others were jewelers doing it themselves for higher profits.
