Traveler detained in EU state with 11,000 diamonds in hand luggage (PHOTOS)

A 53-year-old man has been taken into custody in Germany after the gems were found hidden in his carry-on bags

Customs officers at Frankfurt am Main Airport have confiscated 11,276 undeclared diamonds from a passenger arriving from Angola, the German customs service reported on Friday.

The 53-year-old man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was detained and taken into custody after failing to declare the shipment of uncut diamonds. He also lacked the necessary certification for transporting the precious stones.

According to the German customs service, the diamonds were discovered during a routine aviation security check. 

“The man traveling from Angola had concealed the diamonds in a false bottom of his carry-on luggage, in two bags,” authorities reported.

The value of the diamonds has not yet been determined and will be established following an expert evaluation, the customs service stated.

“He will now have to answer for violations of foreign trade legislation,” the agency announced. “In addition, he is accused of evading import duties on the smuggled uncut diamonds.”

An investigation into the case is ongoing.

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Angola is one of Africa’s largest diamond producers and among the world’s top sources of rough diamonds, having reached a record output of about 14 million carats of rough diamonds in 2024, according to industry data. In 2025, production stood at around 10.7 million carats by September, with authorities targeting nearly 14.8 million carats for the full year.

All rough diamonds exported from Angola must be accompanied by a Kimberley Process certificate, an international scheme designed to prevent conflict diamonds from entering global markets. Shipments without the required documentation are considered illegal under both Angolan law and international trade regulations.

Angolan authorities have previously reported seizures linked to the illegal diamond trade. In 2024, police in the diamond-producing province of Lunda Norte confiscated 2,468 rough diamonds in the municipality of Lucapa as part of an investigation into unlawful possession and trade.