SINGAPORE – A 43-year-old man was arrested on Nov 20 after he allegedly swopped a diamond ring worth $318,000 at a store in Marina Bay Sands and replaced it with a replica.

Police said the man had pretended to be interested in buying the ring. While holding the ring in his left hand, he diverted the shop staff’s attention to other rings and allegedly swopped the ring with a replica using his right hand. 

However, a store employee detected a discrepancy in the texture of the price tags of the two rings. In-house security detained the man and found the diamond ring in his possession.

The police were alerted at 1.15pm and they arrested the man, who will be charged in court on Nov 22.

If found guilty of cheating, he may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.