Dubai police foil $25M pink diamond heist in ‘Operation Pink Diamond’

Dubai Police say they have thwarted an attempt to steal and smuggle a rare pink diamond valued at $25 million, arresting three suspects during an operation codenamed “Pink Diamond.”

According to police, the suspects— all of Asian nationality— had allegedly been plotting for more than a year to obtain the 21.25-carat gem, which is classified as Fancy Intense.

Certified by a leading gemological institute, the stone is said to have extraordinary clarity and a unique purity rating, with experts estimating only a 0.01 percent chance of finding another like it.

Investigators said the group allegedly posed as wealthy buyers to deceive the diamond’s owner, a trader who had imported the stone from Europe to sell in Dubai.

 Police claim the suspects rented luxury cars, booked high-end hotels, and even hired a diamond expert to verify the stone, gradually convincing the merchant of their credibility.

Authorities said the suspects eventually persuaded the trader to bring the gem out of his secure shop to a villa, where they allegedly seized it and fled.

Police believe the group planned to smuggle the diamond to an Asian destination hidden inside a small refrigerator.

Dubai Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) teams said they used advanced tracking technologies to locate the three suspects.

They were arrested in separate raids, and the diamond was reportedly recovered before it could leave the country.

The merchant, who reported the incident immediately, praised the swift police response, saying patrols arrived within minutes of his call and kept him informed throughout the process.

 “To my surprise, the very next morning, they told me the suspects had been arrested and the diamond was safe,” he said.

Having operated in Dubai since 2005, the trader admitted he was surprised by the alleged scheme and urged other dealers to follow official safety guidelines.

He noted that Dubai has built a reputation as a safe global hub for the diamond trade, a standard he believes must be preserved.