The People's Court of Ho Chi Minh City will try Shaileshkumar Hareshbhai Prajapati, a 29-year-old Indian national, on 30/7 for smuggling.
In connection with the case, Nguyen Thi Linh, 54, faces charges of smuggling and bribery. Ly Thi Ngoc Bich is accused of property fraud, while her older sister, Ly Thi Ngoc Nga, is charged with brokerage of bribery.
Shah Hemantkumar Sureshkumar, who operates Nsh & Co in India, has been identified by investigators as the one who directed Prajapati, an employee, to smuggle diamonds into Vietnam. However, authorities have not yet received the results of judicial assistance to verify Sureshkumar's identity and background, so his case has been separated for later processing.
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Seized diamond exhibits. *Photo: Police*. |
Flight reveals diamond smuggling ring
According to the indictment, Sureshkumar, the operator of Nsh & Co in India, reached an agreement with Nguyen Thi Linh in early 2023 to organize the illegal transport of diamonds from India into Vietnam for sale.
From August 2023, Sureshkumar instructed Prajapati to directly transport diamonds to Ho Chi Minh City without customs declaration.
Prajapati and Linh located buyers through social media, requiring upfront deposits. Based on the customer list, Sureshkumar directed Prajapati to bring diamonds to Ho Chi Minh City for Linh to deliver directly or send via freight to various localities. Sales proceeds were transferred into accounts managed by Linh. Linh received a 0,1% commission on each shipment's value, with the remainder going to Sureshkumar. Prajapati was paid approximately 6 million VND per month.
Investigators determined that from August 2023 to October 2024, Prajapati entered Vietnam from India five times, illegally transporting a total of 1,477 diamonds of various types for Linh to sell.
Most recently, on 23/10/2024, upon entering via Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Prajapati was found concealing 715 diamonds in his luggage without a customs declaration.
Forensic analysis revealed the seized items included 503 natural diamonds and 212 synthetic (CVD) diamonds, with a total value exceeding 6,84 billion VND.
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Ly Thi Ngoc Bich and seized money exhibits. *Photo: Police*. |
Failed "case fixing" scam
After Prajapati's arrest and the seizure of the diamond shipment, Linh sought Ly Thi Ngoc Nga's help to secure his bail or early return to India, and to find a lawyer to request a reduced sentence.
Despite knowing Linh's intention to "fix the case" and her own inability to assist, Nga acted as an intermediary, introducing her younger sister, Ly Thi Ngoc Bich.
According to the indictment, Bich repeatedly provided false information, promising to find influential officials who could intervene to secure Prajapati's bail or reduce criminal liability for both Prajapati and Linh. Trusting Bich, Linh gave her a total of 1,2 billion VND.
Bich subsequently used 150 million VND to hire a lawyer, keeping the remaining amount at home without fulfilling her promises.
Hai Duyen
