Cabbie Finds $350,000 in Diamonds in Cab, Returns Them to Passenger

LOS ANGELES – A pouch of diamonds left in a taxi could have gone a long way toward helping a Los Angeles cab driver achieve his dreams.

But he didn't keep the diamonds. He contacted the passenger who left them.

It turns out they belonged to a New York jeweler, and were worth 350-thousand dollars.

The cabbie, Haider Sediqi, discovered the pouch after dropping off a passenger at Los Angeles International Airport. When he opened it, he found about 100 diamonds, plus a cell phone bill.

He called the number and arranged to meet the owner at the airport police station to return the diamonds.

The cabbie is an Afghan immigrant with two children and a pregnant wife. He says he never considered keeping the gems — even though his wife loves diamonds and he dreams of opening a restaurant.

In his words, "God is up there. He always watches."