The rare pink diamond was reportedly stolen from The Diamond Gallery Store in Cairns on Saturday 15 February. Local police said Matthew Osborne, a 29-year-old English tourist, was discussing Argyle diamonds with a staff member before he simply grabbed the container and escaped on a mountain bike.
He allegedly then boarded a plane to Brisbane within a matter of hours before making his way to Melbourne. Police then used fingerprints to track Osborne, eventually stopping him at Tullamarine Airport on Thursday 20 February as he attempted to board a plane to New Zealand.
According to media reports, he was then immediately taken to Broadmeadows Magistrates Court where an extradition to Queensland was approved. He will appear before the Cairns Magistrate Court on Saturday 22 February.
The stone is yet to be recovered, though detectives have suggested that Osborne may have swallowed it. As such, he will be closely monitored in coming days.
Hard to stomach
If proven true, Osborne will join a growing list of thieves who have swallowed jewellery in their escape.
As previously reported by Jeweller, a man attempted to steal two diamond rings from a Brisbane jewellery store in late November last year. He was chased and cornered, then in a bid to hide the evidence, swallowed the rings.
David Watts was charged with stealing and fraud, and held in custody until he passed the evidence. In a strange twist, police accidentally threw one of the rings out, while the other was auctioned off with the profits given to charity.
Background reading
More reading