An Asian couple who stole a diamond worth 300,000 dirhams (about USD 81,000) from a shop in Dubai and fled the UAE was arrested dramatically from an Indian airport and brought back to the country, a media report said Monday.

The couple managed to smuggle the 3.27-carat diamond after the woman swallowed it.

The suspects, who are in their 40s, were arrested as they were transiting to Hong Kong via Mumbai. The couple was brought back to the UAE in cooperation with the Interpol and Indian police, Khaleej Times reported.

The police released the footage from the surveillance cameras in the shop, which showed the couple entering the jewellery store in Deira's Gold Souq.

According to the police, the man distracted the staff by asking them about stones of certain specifications.

The police video showed the woman going towards the entrance. She then opens the glass door of the display and steals the diamond. She is seen hiding the diamond under her jacket and leaving the shop with the man.

According to the police, the store owner discovered the theft after three hours. Colonel Adel Al Joker, director of the Criminal Investigation Department, said the three-hour delay in discovering and reporting the theft helped the suspects escape.

The police relayed the details of the suspects and their flight information to the Indian authorities via the Interpol. The couple was arrested and sent back to Dubai in the next available flight, the report said

Al Joker said the suspects confessed to stealing the diamond. An X-ray scan showed the diamond in the woman's gut. A specialist doctor was called in to administer a solution to retrieve the diamond, the report said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)