Bitter pill to swallow: mainland Chinese woman jailed for 28 months over Hong Kong diamond heist in which she gulped down fake
Hunan woman swallowed stone made of zirconium after theft attempt went wrong at Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair
A mainland woman who swallowed a fake diamond during a heist targeting a 3.54 carat diamond worth at least HK$1.6 million has been jailed for 28 months along with her accomplice.
Hunan resident Liu Xiuluan gulped down the fake stone made of zirconium and oxygen after she was caught swapping it for the real one at the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair at the Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 25, the District Court heard.
Two gemstones, one weighing 1.38 grams and the another 1.11 grams, were found in Liu’s stool four days later, Judge Gary Lam Kar-yan said.
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Liu, 34, and her co-defendant Huang Yanming, 42, each pleaded guilty to one count of attempted theft.
Sentencing the pair, Lam noted that although the theft could not be described as sophisticated, it was well planned.
“They were armed with two diamonds to perform the swap,” Lam said, stressing that the two women were well dressed and had used fake entry permits to gain access to the fair.
He originally sentenced the duo to four years in jail, but reduced the sentence after considering their guilty pleas and that no money had been lost.
The court heard today that Liu and Huang entered the jewellery fair with two fake passes on the day.
There, Liu asked a marketing manager at the booth belonging to Star Brilliance Company to show her the diamond in question.
She subsequently swapped it with the real one, but attempted to swap it back after the manager discovered the move.
She then swallowed the fake one after it had been dropped on the floor during the second swap, the court heard.
