Sri Lankan diamond saga: Swallowed gem was fake

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka police say a diamond swallowed by a Chinese man at a gem exhibition in Colombo was a fake and they are searching for the real stone.

Police arrested 32-year-old Chou Wan last week following a complaint that the he had swallowed a 1.5 carat diamond valued at $13,000. An X-ray showed a diamond was inside Chou's body and he was later given a laxative at a hospital.

Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said Tuesday that the recovered diamond was a fake and had no financial value. He said investigators suspect another Chinese man seen with Chou and believed to be his accomplice may have the real diamond.