MANAMA: Jewel thieves struck Jewellery Arabia this year again, stealing diamonds and a necklace worth $645,000 in the last two days, it was revealed yesterday.

Two 'European-looking' men allegedly made off with a $500,000 diamond necklace yesterday while a Hong Kong-based Indian couple allegedly swapped two diamonds worth $145,000 from the KGK Diamonds' stand at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre with glass pieces on Thursday.

A Capital Governorate police spokesman last night confirmed yesterday's incident and said they received a report of a theft at one of the stalls at about 7.30pm.

One of the 'European-looking' men stole the necklace while the other distracted the employee's attention by talking to her, sources told the GDN.

In October 2002 a Serbian gang stole a $1.5 million (BD567,000) diamond necklace from Cartier. Another diamond necklace, worth BD17,000, was stolen from the exhibition in October 2003.

l Two watches, costing BD3,000, that a Gulf national bought from the expo were stolen yesterday. They were stolen from his car where he had kept them before entering Salmaniya Medical Complex.