
Diamond thief used a clever sleight of hand trick to pocket two precious stones.
Chicago authorities arrested a notorious diamond thief over the weekend. The suspect, who used a hand trick to steal $133,000 worth of brilliants from Chicago’s Jewelry Row district, is connected to at least three heists in Belgium and at least one in New York City.
Diamond Thief Posed As a Canada Customer Employed by a Russian Client
On Sunday, a Chicago police spokesperson announced the arrest of 67-year-old Tamaz Hubel, a prolific diamond thief. Several US agencies contributed to Hubel’s arrest, including Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, and Miami-Dade Police Department.
According to Hubel’s arrest warrant, the individual has been sought by the lawmen shortly after a jewelry store owner reported the disappearance of two valuable diamonds from the Jewelry Row.
Upon reviewing the store’s surveillance footage, the authorities determined that the diamond this used a “clever trick” to steal a 2-carat diamond and a 4-carat diamond from the store when the salesperson wasn’t looking.
The store’s owner declared that the 2-carat diamond’s price had been estimated at $26,000, while the exquisite 4-carat piece would have fetched at least $133,000.
Chicago PD’s spokesperson declared that Hubel entered the store on Sunday carrying a leather briefcase. He approached the salesperson and told him that he’s interested in purchasing one or more diamonds.
According to the salesperson’s testimony, Hubel told him that his name was Henry and he was from Canada. Moreover, the diamond thief mentioned that he’s acting on behalf of a Russian client.
Conclusion
The salesperson then invited Hubel into a private room, where he opened a large display case with diamonds. Each precious stone was wrapped in white tissue.
Under the pretense of consulting a price list, Hubel took out a paper from his briefcase, covered the display case, and removed two diamonds which he later placed in the pocket. He left the empty tissues in the display case.
The trick has been so well executed, that it took the jewelry’s staff four days to realize that the diamonds were gone.
Image source: Flickr