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Four diamonds stolen at Baselworld

Four diamonds worth millions of francs have been stolen at the prestigious Baselworld watch and jewellery fair.

A diamond dealer was distracted and the jewels were taken from a showcase at around 11am on Wednesday, according to Basel authorities. The building was shut down as soon as the theft was noticed and no one could leave for half an hour, but the thieves managed to get away.

An investigation was launched immediately.

Baselworld 2011 comprises 1,892 exhibitors from 44 countries, including 736 jewellers, 627 watchmakers and 529 representatives of auxiliary products such as tools and materials.

The fair, which runs until Thursday, is expected to attract 100,000 visitors from 100 countries, including 3,000 journalists.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR