Customs dept cracks down on 'rough diamonds', industry cries foul

(economictimes.indiatimes.com) – A packet of stones bearing the label ‘rough diamonds’ recently found its way to the customs department in Mumbai. It was part of a consignment for a city-based diamantaire, one of many similar packages. The accompanying shipping bill pegged its value as high as any high-yielding, rough-cut diamond lode. But the stones in this particular packet were quartz--they weren’t diamonds. It wasn’t a packing error, or a case of wrongful disclosure. What it represented, according to the customs department, was evidence of a scam that’s been brewing in the Indian diamond industry over the past few years.