Sierra Leone: Spain Detains Belgian Sierra Leone Diamond Trafficker

Aug 28, 2015 | Expatica
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Spanish police said Friday they have detained a Belgian man wanted for allegedly trafficking diamonds in Sierra Leone during the west African country's decade-long civil war. The 64-year-old was arrested at Malaga airport in southern Spain under a European arrest warrant issued by Belgian authorities just as he was about to board a flight to the United States, police said in a statement. The unidentified man is suspected of having illegally trafficked diamonds during Sierra Leone's 1991-2002 civil war, which was partly funded by the trade in illicit gems, known as "blood diamonds", police said.