MOSCOW, February 16 (RIA Novosti) - Police in Moscow have seized a major haul of precious stones in an undercover operation that could have netted the chief suspect in the case hundreds of thousands of dollars, a news release from the economic crime department said Thursday.
The release said plain-clothed officers had confiscated 26 emeralds worth over $200,000 from a resident of Moscow who had tried to sell the stones in the city illegally.
"The arrested man sold 26 emeralds to [plain clothes] police officers for $120,000," the news release said. "The confiscated emeralds, which weighed 357 carats, are estimated to be worth more than $200,000."
The origin of the stones was not revealed.
