A smuggler who thought he was about to make a mint on a diamond deal has felt the sting of karma when it was revealed that the gem he was smuggling is actually a fake. The smuggler, who was intercepted at a German airport, was under the impression that he had in his possession a diamond worth £2.2 million.
The unfortunate truth is that it is actually worth a maximum of £18. Of course, this revelation does mean that the man won't be facing charges or jail time - so at least he can look on the bright side!
It's unknown how many precious gems are smuggled through airports across the world each year, but many countries are cracking down on the activity - including Germany. As a part of this initiative, they searched the man as he passed through the scanners and revealed what seemed to be a diamond. The smuggler actually admitted to having purchased the £2.2m diamond by parting with a not insignificant amount of his own money. His intention was clearly to make a tidy profit. In reality - he made a massive loss.
The useless gem - believed to have been mined illegally in Angola - was inspected by a specialist shortly after the man was taken into custody. Despite the fact that this was a high quality forgery, it quickly became apparent that this ornament was worth no more than a nice wine glass. After a long wait for the unwitting smuggler, the authorities let him know that, technically speaking, he was not breaking the law and so would be released soon thereafter. It's not known what the 'smuggler's' thoughts on the situation are, but we can certainly be sure that he now has a significant dent in his wallet - and his pride!