DIAMOND dealers from Surat, India met with Commissioner of Police Sudhir Sinha and other officials of the local police department on October 10 to discuss added security measures this sector in the upcoming Indian festival of Diwali, reported the Business Standard of India.

A recent theft in which Rs800,000 (almost $18,000) of diamonds were stolen from a company based in Mahidharpura has heightened the fear in the industry. Diamond exporter Pravin Nanavati said: “The police have advised the diamond dealers not to do any diamond or cash deliveries after dark, to install barriers and closed-circuit TV cameras outside their offices, to hire armed guards, and in general to keep a closer eye on goings-on.”

The police promised to post more uniformed and plainclothes officers to the diamond districts, and the courier services also extended a helping hand. Chandrakant Sanghvi, a regional official from the Indian Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), said: “The industry has to take some responsibility for its own security.”