Illegal diamond sale intercepted

A man was arrested in St Lucia in the early hours of Monday morning in connection with a planned illegal sale of diamonds.

After receiving a tip-off of the diamond transaction, security guards in St Lucia were on high alert on Sunday night.

The suspect, a 39-year-old Zimbabwean national, was seen just after midnight  outside one of the closed restaurants. He was apprehended by town security and a plastic bag containing seven diamonds worth about R1.5-million was found on his person.

The suspect arrived from Johannesburg reportedly to sell the diamonds to a buyer in St Lucia.

The suspect is being detained at Mtubatuba Police Station for further questioning.