In a major achievement, Dubai Police has recovered a diamond worth Dh300,000 ($81,663), only 20 hours after it had been stolen from a local jewellery outlet by an Asian couple, a high-ranking police official said.

The 3.27 carat gem was recovered after being stolen by the couple from a jewellery shop in Naif area. They left the country before being caught in India after Dubai Police alerted the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and Indian authorities and brought them back to Dubai.

Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, the commander-in-chief of Dubai Police, said: "Though the owner of the shop found out about the missing diamond and informed the police about three hours after the incident, we managed to recover the gem within 20 hours in cooperation with the Indian authorities."

"The couple was identified in a short time and arrested in transit area in India as they were trying to smuggle the diamond to their home country," he stated.

Maj General Al Marrri lauded the officers at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for their efficiency in recovering the gem in such a short time after identifying the two suspects.

"It is a new achievement for Dubai known as safe and secure city. Our strategy is to cut crime rate and quick response to emergencies," he added.

Brigadier Jamal Salem Al Jalaf, Director of General Department of Criminal Investigation in Dubai Police, said smart data analysis center helped solve the crime in short time.

Explaining the details, Brigadier Al Jalaf  said the couple in their 40s, went to the jewellery shop at Naif and started acting as per the plan.

"The man distracted the salesman by asking for specific diamonds while the woman, who was holding a jacket under her arms, stood near a table and stole the gem and put it in her jacket. The couple then left the shop. However, the salesman discovered the robbery after three hours and alerted the police," he stated.

Colonel Adel Al Joker, Director of Criminal investigation Section at Dubai Police, said the thieves left immediately to Dubai International Airport and departed to India on the way to their home country.

They were brought back to Dubai from India, he added.-TradeArabia News Service