Diamond Swallowing as a Ruse
It’s a known theft tactic to swallow what you’re stealing. It works for food at the supermarket, and it also can work for diamonds. Here’s a twist on that tactic:
Police say he could have swallowed the stone in an attempt to distract the diamond’s owner, Suresh de Silva, while his accomplice stole the real gem.
Mr de Silva told the BBC that the Chinese men had visited the stall twice and he believed the diamond theft occurred during the first visit and not the second one, when the man swallowed the stone.
He insisted the man was trying to swap a fake stone for the real one and only swallowed the stone when he panicked after Mr de Silva apprehended him and alerted police.
This reminds me of group pickpocket tactics against tourists: the person who steals the wallet quickly passes it to someone else, so if the victim grabs the attacker, the wallet is long gone.
Bob T • September 17, 2012 8:03 AM
Apparently, the owner never saw the Three Stooges episode with King Rutin Tutin where the gems had a coating of poison on them. Poor Shemp.