Covid-19 debts drove conspiracy of international diamond heist

Surat: The Economic Offences Cell (EOC) of Surat police has arrested two key masterminds behind the R 5-crore international “virtual” diamond heist, which duped six local traders. Investigation revealed that the accused orchestrated the elaborate fraud to recover from massive debts incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. The arrested accused — Anuj Shah and Chetan Sagar (Soni) — allegedly created virtual US phone numbers and posed as American diamond buyers, speaking fluent English to convince Surat traders of their authenticity. Shah identified potential victims on Rapnet, an international diamond trading platform, focusing on sellers looking to offload high-value stones. Six Surat…