Dubai Police foil $25 million pink diamond heist in eight hours

Dubai Police has arrested three people for stealing a pink diamond worth $25 million, shortly before the detainees reportedly intended to ship the 21 carat precious gem to another country. 

The criminals had convinced a trader, who was in possession of the rare stone, that a wealthy buyer was interested in purchasing it - renting luxury cars and bringing a gems expert from abroad to lend credibility. 

The thieves then lured the trader to a villa, where they seized the opportunity to steal the gem that boasts a "highest purity certificate," with a 0.01 global rarity rate. 

Investigators swiftly located the alleged criminals' place of residence and arrested all three within eight hours of the crime, and found the precious stone hidden in a small refrigerator. 

Dubai Police thwarts an attempted theft of an exceptionally rare pink diamond valued at 25 million US dollars. The group of three individuals of Asian nationality were apprehended within eight hours.@DubaiPoliceHQ pic.twitter.com/fKNA3cUtZD

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) August 18, 2025