A suspected smuggler of precious stones has been arrested in Albufeira after his apartment was searched and €3 million in uncut gems were found.
About a hundred uncut emeralds and diamonds were hidden in decorative objects and had no certificate of origin. A raid on Tuesday afternoon, January 16th, ended a long period of investigation and surveillance.
When the GNR from Loulé entered the apartment, a Portuguese man in his 60s was found inside as were the hidden gems which, without certificates of origin, are illegal.
The man has been tracked for at least three months by the Criminal Investigation department of the GNR in Loulé and, when jewels and suspect were together, officers pounced and discovered the stones hidden inside decorative objects.
The investigation now will continue to find out where the jewels came from and their possible links to trafficking networks for precious stones.
To obtain a license, precious stones must meet a number of criteria for certification. A mechanism regulated by a law which aims to prevent the trade in blood diamonds originating in conflict zones.
