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Woman accused of bid to steal diamonds from Hong Kong show 'swallowed jewellery by accident', court told
A woman accused of attempting to steal a 3.54 carat diamond from a Hong Kong gem show accidentally swallowed jewellery while she slept, a court was told yesterday.
Prosecutor Louise Wong told Eastern Court yesterday morning that Liu Xiuluan, 33, was absent because she was in hospital after she "swallowed a fake diamond".
Later, however, Liu was brought to court after two fake diamonds were excreted from her body.
She told the court: "I did not have a bowel movement for four days before moving to Hong Kong. My stomach was not feeling well."
She said she opened her mouth while she was sleeping and accidentally swallowed some jewellery items.
Liu is charged along with Huang Yanming, 42, with attempting to steal a 3.54 carat diamond from Brilliant Star Company on Thursday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.
As well as the two women, two men - Yang Hao, 23, and Zhou Yuhua, 36 - and three other women - Tang Xinxing, 26, Cheng Xiangrong, 34, and Zhou Lingyun, 32 - were also charged with attempting to steal diamonds and brooches at the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair on the same day.
The court heard the items they wanted to steal included a 7.88 carat diamond, valued at HK$1.3 million and four brooches, valued at US$840 each.
The prosecutor alleged that all the accused were part of a syndicate from a city in Hunan province.
Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai adjourned the cases to August 24 for further investigation. All the accused were remanded in custody.
The Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair attracts some 57,000 visitors from around the world. Photo: SCMP Pictures
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.
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.
