Illicit diamond syndicate busted in S. Africa

An international syndicate involved in illicit diamond trade has been busted in South Africa, authorities said on Monday.

In an operation last week, 19 suspects were arrested in Gauteng, the Northern Cape, Free State and North West provinces for alleged involvement in illegal diamond trade, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation ("The Hawks") said.

Following the operation, eight more suspects turned themselves in on Monday in connection with the illicit diamond syndicate, bringing the total number of arrests to 27, Hawks spokesperson Captain Paul Ramaloko said.

"We have been working on this syndicate for over a year in conjunction with the diamond industry," said Ramoloko.

The Hawks received a tip-off about the illicit trading of diamonds and set up an operation where they traded diamonds with the group, according to Ramoloko.

He said they expect to make more arrests in the case.

Also on Monday, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources called for harsh sentences for the suspects, if convicted.

Parliament has been pushing for a law that would include harsh punishments for those found guilty of illegal mining, as these activities have seen the emergence of gangsters and led to the loss of many lives.

This would be in line with the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), which seeks to stem illegal trading of diamonds, the committee said.

The KPCS is the process established in 2003 to prevent "conflict diamonds" from entering the mainstream rough diamond market.

The committee said it considers the illegal trading of minerals including gold, diamonds and platinum as a matter of concern to the country.

The committee will give attention to these kinds of illegal dealings, as well as illegal mining, Committee Chairperson Sahlulele Luzipo said.