Police hunt thief who swiped gems on train

A jewelry dealer who stored his suitcase on communal luggage racks during a train ride has lost a sizeable treasure trove that includes rubies, emeralds and sapphires, authorities hunting for the thief have revealed.

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The 35-year-old owner boarded a train from London to Birmingham on Wednesday evening at 6.30 p.m., storing his black suitcase on a luggage rack in the carriage. Two hours later, when he arrived in Rugby, central England, the suitcase had disappeared — and with it more than one million pounds ($1.3 million, €1.1 million) of precious stones.

Detectives suspect the suitcase was stolen in the half-hour between the victim boarding the train at London Euston station and it departing at 7.03pm.

"Extremely high value" theft

British Transport Police have released grainy CCTV images of a man they wish to speak to as part of their investigation.

"I would like to speak to the man in the CCTV images about this extremely high value luggage theft," Detective Sergeant Nick Thompson from the British Transport Police said in a statement on Monday.

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"I'd also like to hear from anyone who was on board the train or at Euston station on Wednesday evening, who may have seen a man acting suspiciously."

The police described the suitcase as large and black, and said it contained more than 40 gems such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires.

an/rc (Reuters)