Illicit diamond dealer nabbed in Bloemfontein pawnshop

A 39-year-old man who walked into a pawnshop at the Mall in Heatherdale Road in Bloemfontein with what looked like five precious stones was nabbed by Heidedal police when he attempted to sell them.

He claimed that they were diamonds.

But according to police, he was not able to produce a license to show that he was accredited to deal in the precious stones.

Rough, uncut diamonds

Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Covane told the media that the manager of the pawnshop had called the police to report that he had a man in his retail store with rough, uncut diamonds.

“We rushed to the Mall in Heatherdale Road and sure enough, we found the 39-year-old male attempting to sell rough diamonds,” Covane said.

It was discovered that three of the stones were real diamonds that were likely to have been recently mined.

“The other two stones were fake,” Covane confirmed.  

illicit diamonds

Covane said the man was immediately arrested and charged with possession of illicit diamonds at the Heidedal Police Station.

“The suspect is in police custody and will appear in Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court soon,” he said.

Illegal mining has been on the rise in South Africa and has presented a challenge for the country’s law enforcement agencies over the years.

Having unwrought precious metal ore, platinum group metals (PGMs), gold-bearing material, or rough diamonds in South Africa without the necessary statutory authorisation is against the law.

According to the Minerals Council of South Africa, South Africa’s diamond sector is far from reaching the end of its life.

In 2022, South Africa produced 10.2 million tonnes of diamonds. According to the council, the total diamond sales in 2022 was at R27.7 billion. The industry, therefore, contributes to the economy as a forex earner and jobs creator.