Vietnam Investigates Major Diamond Smuggling and Fraud Ring
2 sources across 2 countries · Hong Kong · Japan
Who reported this
- South China Morning Post
- The Japan Times
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Investigators in Vietnam allege that more than 30,000 diamonds worth over 1.5 trillion dong, or approximately 57 million US dollars, were smuggled into the country over the last two years. Police report that the ring operated by stripping original Gemological Institute of America laser inscriptions from stones before re engraving them with reports that overstated their quality to inflate sale prices. The scandal has caused significant disruption in Ho Chi Minh City, where dozens of jewellery shops have temporarily closed and customers are attempting to sell stones they no longer trust. Some buyers have found the retailers where they purchased their jewellery to be shut, complicating efforts to seek refunds through common buy back programmes. Authorities are continuing to investigate the extent to which these stones have spread through the market.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center leaning source focused on the emotional reaction and panic of the buyers.
- Centre-right
- The center-right leaning source provided more detailed technical explanations of the fraud and the impact on the local business district.
Sources
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.