China detains Indians for diamond smuggling

New Delhi: India on Tuesday said it had asked its consulate in the Chinese city of Shenzen to look into the issue of 21 Indians being detained by authorities on the charge of diamond smuggling.

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said she had asked the S. Jaishankar, the Indian envoy to China, to send a factual and detailed report about the incident. He will ask the Consulate General in Guangzhou to investigate the mater.

The External Affairs Ministry said it was aware of the detention of 21 Indian nationals by the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of Shenzhen in southern Guangdong province on Jan 8.


The Chinese media on Monday reported that Shenzen Customs officials detained 50 people, including 21 Indians, on diamond smuggling charges on Friday.

On learning of this detention, the Indian embassy in Beijing immediately approached the Chinese authorities seeking consular access to the Indian nationals, he said. The two countries had inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on consular matters in 2003.

Indian consular Officers are expected to be granted access to the detained Indian nationals Wednesday morning, he said.

The Shenzhen Daily reported that the group reportedly sourced diamonds in Hong Kong and hired Indians and locals to smuggle them into Shenzhen where they were sold in open markets.

The bust was the result of a two-month investigation that began after Customs received a report about the smuggling ring in October 2009. Authorities seized the diamonds, which had Gemological Institute of America (GIA) certifications, as well as cash.


Related StoriesSuitable action against China`s incursions: IAF chiefReacting to the development, the president of Surat Diamond Association, Rohit Mehta, expressed frustration at not knowing the details about the case.

“In a situation where there is no transparency, how do we know what happened. We demand transparency from Chinese authorities in this matter,” Mehta told a TV news channel. He has asked the Government of India to step into the matter.

It is noteworthy that three top Chinese officials were on Monday arrested in connection with the BALCO mishap which claimed over 40 lives last September.

The incident occurs at a time when distrust has resurfaced into India's bilateral relations with China over a host of issues, including an increased Chinese assertiveness over the boundary dispute and a reported surge in Chinese incursions into the Indian territory.