Russian miner Alrosa has caught an employee allegedly exchanging low-value diamonds for more expensive ones, which, together with accomplices, she then sold to Armenian smugglers.
Following an investigation, Alrosa’s security service discovered signs of criminal actions by an employee, the company said Monday. The miner, together with the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), purportedly caught the diamond sorter “red-handed” attempting to remove a batch of approximately 250 carats of rough diamonds worth RUB 1.9 million ($24,153).
The criminal network included employee V.A. Matyushchenkova, her son, A.I. Matyushchenkov — who acted as the intermediary — and dual Armenian-Russian citizens A.P. Petrosyan and A.S. Saakyan, who were responsible for providing the cheaper replacement diamonds, as well as smuggling the higher-value stones to Armenia, the FSB said.
“During further investigative actions, items and documents of importance for the investigation of the criminal case, about 200,000 carats of industrial diamonds…intended for substitution, as well as cash and expensive jewelry from famous world brands, obtained by the participants in the illegal activity as a result of committing crimes, were seized from their residential addresses,” the FSB reported.
Authorities have placed the four accused in detention. Meanwhile, the operation’s alleged organizers, two Armenian brothers, are wanted internationally for smuggling rough diamonds, the FSB said. The stolen diamonds were allegedly delivered to a company called ADM Diamond in Armenia, the beneficiary of which is H. Sukiasyan, an Armenian businessman and deputy of the local National Assembly, the FSB added.
ADM denied any connection to those mentioned or any involvement in the case when asked by Rapaport News.
Alrosa is conducting a further internal investigation to make sure no one else in the company is connected to the ring.
Image: A sorter with rough diamonds. (Alrosa)
