A Singapore court has sentenced an Indian national to more than two years in prison after he and an alleged accomplice carried out a meticulously planned attempt to steal a diamond worth about SGD 200,000 (around Rs 1,49,23,904) from a jewellery store in Chinatown.

Investigators said the theft involved replacing the original gemstone with a counterfeit before attempting to flee the country.

Mangroliya Manojkumar Kurjibhai, 41, was sentenced on July 17 to two years, two months and two weeks in jail after pleading guilty to one count of theft. The case against the second accused, Serasiya Milan Ramnikbhai, 30, is scheduled to be heard on Friday.

According to court proceedings reported by Singapore media, the two men travelled from India to Singapore on social visit passes after allegedly planning the theft in advance. Before leaving India, they reportedly commissioned a counterfeit diamond in Surat that matched the targeted 4.95-carat gemstone's specifications, including its serial number.

The pair allegedly targeted Dianoche, a jewellery store in Singapore's Chinatown, on June 19. Prosecutors said Mangroliya distracted the store's sales manager by asking to inspect multiple items while Milan allegedly swapped the genuine diamond with the fake one. The real diamond was then concealed inside Milan's mouth.

The exchange, however, was captured on the store's CCTV cameras. After the men left without making a purchase, the sales manager examined the stone using a gemstone identification machine and found that it was counterfeit.

Realising the theft had been detected, the pair returned to their hotel, checked out earlier than planned and booked a flight to India later that evening.

Their escape attempt was cut short when Singapore authorities arrested both men at Changi Airport Terminal 3 while they were clearing immigration. Investigators recovered the genuine diamond from Milan's haversack.

During sentencing, State Prosecuting Officer Yip Cheng Yee argued that the offence was carefully planned and executed. Prosecutors said the accused had travelled to Singapore specifically to commit the theft, had arranged for a counterfeit diamond beforehand and acted together in an effort to avoid detection.

In mitigation, Mangroliya told the court through an interpreter that he has two children in India and appealed for a lighter sentence.

Under Singapore law, theft in a building carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment, a fine, or both.

The proceedings against Milan, who is alleged to have carried out the diamond swap, are expected to continue later this week.

With PTI inputs