A South African mining company, a diamond dealer/scam artist named Dennis Van Kerrebroeck and a giant 68-carat rock all play a role in a recent gem theft, officials supect. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Todd Hyman the stone made its way into city last September, transported by Van Kerrebroeck. He’d agreed to sell it to a Fifth Avenue jeweler, but the final price was just one third of what it was worth. The undersale made Feds suspect the stone was stolen, so they seized it from Taly Diamond on Thursday. Now they’re searching for the shady dealer.
Thought the diamond is worth $3.3 million it sold for just $1 million, reports the Daily News. Allegedly, the dealer stole it by arranging for it to be released from customs without telling the company that owned it. Still, Taly Diamond insists the sale was legit, and is fighting to get its diamond back.
