Canadian police are probing the possibility that a woman who landed at Toronto’s Pearson airport on a flight from T&T on February 3, may have swallowed some 10,000 rough diamonds in T&T. In an article in the National Post it said Helena Freida Bodner appeared in court Friday and was expected to reappear later this month at the Brampton Provincial Courthouse. She was charged under the Customs Act with making false statements, unlawful possession of prohibited goods and smuggling. It quoted Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokesman Antonella DiGirolamo who said Bodner carried the gems—about 1,500 carats worth—“internally.”
The gems are estimated at $398,000. Bodner was described as a “foreign national” and the agency said it was still investigating the diamonds’ place of origin. A check at the CBSA’s Web site yesterday said an initial examination of Bodner resulted in officers suspecting she was involved in an illegal activity. The suspicions where later confirmed when further examination revealed that she was an internal carrier of rough diamonds, it added. The CBSA then contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to further assist in the investigation. The RCMP laid charges under sections 14(1) and 41(1) of the Export and Import of Rough Diamonds Act.
The Globe and Mail newspaper said an expert said the case suggested that the stones could have originated from Venezuela and probably were destined for another country to be cut and polished so that they would be less identifiable. It added: “Trinidad is not a diamond-mining country. The nearest sources of the precious stones would be Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana.