Indian tourist jailed in Singapore for stealing diamond worth $1,54,000

A Singapore court has sentenced an Indian tourist to more than two years in prison for attempting to steal a diamond worth about $154,000 from a jewellery store.

According to court documents, 41-year-old Mangroliya Manojkumar Kurjibhai and an alleged accomplice visited a jewellery shop in Singapore's Chinatown on June 19, where they targeted a 4.95-carat diamond.

Prosecutors said Mangroliya distracted the store manager while his accomplice, 30-year-old Serasiya Milan Ramnikbhai, allegedly replaced the genuine diamond with a counterfeit stone that had been concealed in his mouth.

The pair then left the shop without making a purchase, with the real diamond allegedly hidden in the accomplice's mouth.

Authorities later arrested both men at the airport after surveillance footage linked them to the theft. Police recovered the stolen diamond from one of their bags.

Mangroliya pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years, two months and two weeks in jail.

His alleged accomplice remains in custody and is due to appear in court on Friday.

Investigators said the suspects had arranged for a fake diamond matching the original stone's specifications and serial number to be made in India before travelling to Singapore. It remains unclear how they obtained the details of the original diamond in advance.