A Singapore court sentenced an Indian tourist to 2 years, 2 months, and 2 weeks in prison after he collaborated with an accomplice to commission fake diamonds from India, then traveled to Singapore to swap a genuine 4.95-carat diamond worth over 5.2 million baht at a jewelry store in Chinatown. They hid the diamond in the mouth and distracted staff before police arrested him at Changi Airport as he was about to flee the country.
The Singapore court sentenced 41-year-old Indian national Mangrolia Manojkumar Kurjipai to 2 years, 2 months, and 2 weeks imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to theft from a jewelry store in Chinatown by swapping a genuine diamond with a carefully prepared fake. The accomplice, 30-year-old Seraziya Milan Ramnikpai, accused of physically performing the swap, is still awaiting trial.
The prosecution revealed the two planned the crime before arriving in Singapore by hiring a manufacturer in Surat, India, to produce a fake diamond matching the size, characteristics, and serial number of the target real diamond. Although court documents do not specify how they obtained the diamond’s details.
On 19 June, the pair entered Singapore on tourist visas and around 3 p.m. visited Dianoche jewelry store on Kreta Ayer Road in Chinatown.
Mangrolia asked staff to present a 4.95-carat diamond valued at about SGD 199,000 (approximately 5.18 million baht), then requested to see several other items to distract the store manager, who had to retrieve various pieces. During this, Seraziya, who hid the fake diamond in his mouth, spat it out, swapped it with the real diamond, then concealed the genuine one in his mouth. Both said they would consider the purchase before leaving the store.
However, the store’s CCTV recorded the entire incident, and when the manager tested the remaining diamond using a gem tester, it was found to be fake. The manager immediately alerted the police.
After leaving the store, the suspects checked out of their hotel early and booked a flight back to India that same evening. However, before boarding, police arrested them at about 8:50 p.m. at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 immigration checkpoint. Following the arrest, officers searched Seraziya’s bag and recovered the stolen genuine diamond.
The prosecution stated the case involved careful advance planning, including commissioning the fake diamond, dividing roles between the perpetrators, and preparing to flee the country immediately after the act. Both had traveled to Singapore specifically to commit this crime.
The defendant requested leniency, citing that he has two children to care for in India. However, the court saw the crime was systematically premeditated and imposed an appropriate prison sentence.
Under Singapore law, theft in a building carries a maximum penalty of up to seven years’ imprisonment and may include fines at the court’s discretion.