DIAMOND SMUGGLERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 October 1944, Page 7

DIAMOND SMUGGLERS

S. AFRICAN GANG DISCOVERED CAPETOWN, Sept. 1. Following the news of a vast illicit diamond smuggling organisation, which, the Sunday Times of Johannesburg says, has squeezed “millions of pounds” of diamonds from the Union through Cairo to Germany, it was announced here to-day that the police had confiscated £4,000 worth of diamonds. The newspaper says that both military and civilian officials are involved in the smuggling organisation, which has its centre in Johannesburg. The organisation has spread its activities over a wide area in South Africa. In Cape Province alone the police have made 40 arrests concerning illicit diamond traffic. Diamond detectives are convinced that the smuggling organisation’s activities have assumed international proportions, and it is generally believed that both Scotland Yard and

I the United States Federal Bureau of 'investigation have been called- in to 'assist with investigations at their respective ends. j It is widely believed that aircraft ’were used to take diamonds from the ;Union to the Middle East, and there l is talk of diamonds being concealed in the shoulder paddings of men’s suits. Women have also been arrested. While many people were involved in the illicit diamond transactions it iis believed that very few of them knew that the diamonds they were handling were destined for Germany. The hand behind the whole smuggling plot has yet to be revealed. i The bulk of the diamonds involved are believed to have come from the State Alluvial Diggings at Alexander i Bay, at the mouth of the Orange ißiver. Their value is Quoted at figlures varying from £6,000.000 to {'£ 13.000,000. A number of officials at the State Diggings have been arrested i or detained by the police for interroI gation.