JOHANNESBURG, Dec 28: Armed robbers snatched 9.5 million dollars and an undisclosed amount of jewellery and diamonds at South Africa’s main airport, police said on Friday.

Police said between five and eight armed robbers surprised three security guards inspecting cargo from Amsterdam at Johannesburg International Airport on Thursday.

“We are still questioning the three security guards with regard to establishing whether they were involved, but we cannot exclude the possibility of an inside job at this stage,” police inspector Mary Martins-Engelbrecht said.

Engelbrecht said the 9.5 million dollars were destined for Angola, while the diamonds and jewellery were meant to be delivered to a company based in South Africa.

The country’s airports authority, Airports Company of South Africa, declined to give any further details of the robbery but said police investigations were at a “sensitive stage”.

Police said they had made no arrests so far.

Diamond smuggling is rife in South Africa and neighbouring Botswana and illicit diamond traders in some cases use carrier pigeons to smuggle diamonds between the two countries.

The technique involves strapping uncut diamonds to the bodies of pigeons and then fly them out of the country.

South Africa had to change its laws in 1998 to allow all pigeons in its North-West province diamond producing area to be shot at on sight to stem the practice.

South Africa suffers rates of armed robbery, murder and rape many times higher than those in Europe and the United States.

Analysts say crime has its roots in South Africa’s apartheid past and poses the biggest threat to its future. It is seen as the primary reason for an exodus of skilled and educated people and an obstacle to badly-needed investment.—Reuters