A trafficker fails to push a $1m emerald

A 27-yearold man has been detained in the Siberian city of Omsk. The detainee is reported to have tried to push a large emerald allegedly evaluated at $1.356m – at least, it could be learned from a certificate attached to the stone. Information of a possible transaction of such kind had earlier been received by the operatives. The detainee could not explain where he had obtained the jewel. The examination carried out at the Novosibirsk Mineralogy Institute has confirmed that the stone is genuine, weighing 123 carats. It is doubtful, however, that it may really cost $1m – it is unpolished, and the trafficker charged not a million, but just $100,000 for it. According to the security service in charge of the case, the detainee is most likely a middleman, while the jewel could belong to one of Moscow’s criminal groups. At least, the evaluation certificate was issued by one of Moscow’s jewellery firms.