China Jails Indians For Diamond Smuggling
Chinese authorities arrested Indian nationals that were part of a smuggling ring. Despite political representations, justice was handed out to those who violated the law in China.
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China Jails Indians For Diamond Smuggling
Bobby Castro is the online editor at the NRI community, where he has published a number of articles about NRI Indians living in China and many other topics.
In a recent report, a Chinese court has convicted nine Indian men of diamond smuggling in the southern city of Shenzhen. Each of the men was sentenced between three and six years in prison. All the Indians convicted in the crime hail from the state of Gujarat.
These are not the only recent court actions regarding the increasing incidence of diamond smuggling participated in by Indian nationals. Another thirteen Indian men were also convicted of the same crime but are to be deported within the next fifteen (15) days.
According to court documents, prosecutors were able to prove that the men smuggled diamonds worth nearly US$7 million from Hong Kong into Mainland China. There is an existing clandestine trade in Shenzhen to hire Indians to source diamond supplies to be used in the region. Customs officials conducted a raid last January 2010 after investigation was conducted about the activities of a local smuggling ring. The Indian men were arrested during the raid conducted. There were other nationalities that were also arrested aside from the twenty-two Indians netted.
In an official statement, Indian Trade Minister Anand Sharma said that his office was relieved to learn that thirteen of the Indian men were to be released. There have been major representations regarding this case with Chinese leaders, including Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in the past year. Initially, there was some issue as to the exact criminal charges leveled against the Indian nationals. Another criticism was that the Indians currently incarcerated were mainly junior staffers of the rich diamond merchants located in Mumbai. Only two of those arrested were owners of diamond trading firms while the others were lower level employees.
The investigation conducted though proved to be too compelling, as video evidence was obtained showing the movements of the accused Indians in pursuance of the smuggling activities. The political brinkmanship of many Indian politicians, namely Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been taking credit for the welfare of these jailed Indians in China. Modi had taken up the cause for these jailed Indians but only after clear assertions as to the need to observe the law of the land was any headway done. In the end, the bilateral trade between India and China was at a greater stake compared to the task at hand. In the end, the Chinese courts meted out their justice and India retained their standing as a favored trading partner of China.
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