After interrogating the four foreigners involved in the multi-crore diamond heist, the police have learnt that their absconding accomplice, Peris Hender Valmore, is the kingpin of the gang.
The arrested have been identified as Mexicans Guerrero Lugo Elvia Grissel, Campos Molan Elias and Gonzalez Mal Donado, and Gutterez Orlando, a Venezuelan.
They told the police that Valmore, a Venezuelan, had hatched the plan and gave them their share of the loot after the job was done.
“The five were together when they left from Mexico. They went to Spain and then France,” said an officer from the crime branch. “From France, they dispatched in two groups. While two travelled to India via Hamburg, the others came via London.”
Another officer added: “Valmore chose to remain behind the scene and keep a check on the others. Since, his face in not clear on the CCTV footage, he did not come under our scanner.”
The officer said after the job was done, Valmore gave the four 245 diamonds and had kept the remaining 1,641 pieces for himself. “It appears that Valmore had planned to ship the diamonds through courier and then leave Dubai alone. And since he didn’t did not have any diamonds on him, he managed to give a slip to the Dubai authorities,” he said.
Crime branch officials said that on scanning the CCTV footage, they saw one of the men put packets of diamonds in Grissel’s bag. However, his face is not clear.
“After being caught, criminals often use such tactics to put the entire blame on the absconding associate. But, their claims have to be verified,” said Deven Bharti, additional commissioner of police, crime.
The crime branch on Friday got custody of the 245 diamond pieces which were seized by the customs on Thursday. “The customs have evaluated the diamonds and have confirmed that they were part of the same set which was stolen from the exhibition hall,” said Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police, crime.
