Police and air security officers on duty at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport have detained a Russian national trying to smuggle diamonds worth more than $142,000 to Israel, Russian Interior Ministry spokesperson Irina Volk told TASS.
“On January 26, a female passenger in possession of a batch of diamonds on the Moscow-Tel Aviv flight was detained by air security officers in the international departures hall. An examination revealed that the seized gems were natural polished diamonds weighting over 437 carats,” Volk said, adding that their value was estimated at above eight million rubles (the Russian ruble is currently worth 1.7 American cents).
The detainee, a 53-year-old resident of the Moscow area, is facing charges of illegal trafficking in precious metals and natural gems and smuggling of strategically important goods, resources or objects of cultural value.