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James Allen News Center

Record haul of emeralds and diamonds seized in East Siberia

Fri, June 27 2008, 04:53 EST

Police in Russia seized illegal rough emeralds and diamonds totaling 25,000 carats from an unlicensed dealer in the East Siberian city of Irkutsk, a law enforcement source stated in July 2008.

The jewels, which were in the amount of 25,000 carats of rough emeralds and cut diamonds with a total weight of 50 carats, were taken from a local jeweler. The seized goods also included four diamonds each weighing 0.5 carats and worth $11,000.

Police also nabbed 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs) of gold and some silver powder.

Police opened a criminal case into the illegal trade of precious metals and stones, which carries a prison sentence of around seven years.