The Diamond King | Telegraph Investigates

The Diamond King has vanished, but the hunt is only just beginning. As the Indian authorities seize Nirav Modi’s bank accounts, jewellery, cars, art and dozens of properties, the man himself is nowhere to be found.

Rumours swirl that he could be in New York, Hong Kong, Cyprus or Antwerp.

But then Mick Brown and Robert Mendick learn Nirav isn’t in a far-flung corner of the globe. After Mick writes about the diamantaire’s dramatic fall for the Telegraph Luxury magazine, he receives an intriguing email from a confidential source: the billionaire fugitive is far closer than we thought.

Here’s the inside story of how Mick and Rob achieved what the British police and Indian authorities failed to do: capture the Diamond King.

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Reporters and writers - Mick Brown and Robert Mendick
Producer, writer and sound design - Anna Staufenberg
Executive producer and story editor - Cara McGoogan
Mixing - Elliot Lampitt
Original theme music - Sandeep Thulasidas
Additional music - John Cadigan
Commissioning editor - Louisa Wells

Archive supplied by the BBC and Getty

Highlights:

Catch Me If You Can
How Rob and Mick found Nirav Modi

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Nirav Modi’s diamond empire has reached unimaginable heights,. He’s got the backing of some of the world’s most powerful people, and his designs are worn by Hollywood and Bollywood’s biggest names.

But when a bank manager at a small branch in Mumbai retires, his replacement notices something that doesn’t add up. Hidden behind years of paperwork and financial transactions lies the answer to the question many have asked: where was Nirav getting the money? Within days, the illusion crumbles. All hell breaks loose.

As investigators in India and the US close in on what they allege is a billion-pound fraud, Nirav’s diamond empire collapses. Stores are shut down, employees lose their jobs and the arrests begin. But there’s one person nobody can find: Nirav Modi. The diamond king has vanished. He's now one of the world’s most wanted men.

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

Reporters and writers - Mick Brown and Robert Mendick
Producer, writer and sound design - Anna Staufenberg
Executive producer and story editor - Cara McGoogan
Mixing - Elliot Lampitt
Original theme music - Sandeep Thulasidas
Additional music - John Cadigan
Commissioning editor - Louisa Wells

Archive supplied by the BBC and Getty

Highlights:
The Missing Billions
Where was Nirav Modi getting the money?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2010, a fresh-faced newcomer launches himself into the luxury world of high-end jewellery. His name is Nirav Modi, an ambitious diamantaire who dropped out of business school to make jewellery for the world’s elite. His vision is to fuse East with West; to bring something of India’s tradition into western designs.

Within a few years, he’s risen to the top. He opens stores on the most prestigious shopping streets in New York, London, Macau and Hong Kong. But he doesn’t stop there; he wants his name in bright lights around the world.

For now, it seems Nirav’s rise is unstoppable. But there’s something about him that leaves those around him feeling unsettled; and then, the questions start – where are the billions coming from?

Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

Reporters and writers - Mick Brown and Robert Mendick
Producer, writer and sound design - Anna Staufenberg
Executive producer and story editor - Cara McGoogan
Mixing - Elliot Lampitt
Original theme music - Sandeep Thulasidas
Additional music - John Cadigan
Commissioning editor - Louisa Wells

Archive supplied by the BBC and Getty

Highlights:
All That Glitters
The Rise of Nirav Modi
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The rise and fall of Nirav Modi, accused of India’s biggest ever bank fraud – and how The Telegraph caught him.

Nirav Modi was a billionaire diamond tycoon whose jewellery was worn by Kate Winslet and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. But in 2018 he was charged with masterminding a £1.3 billion fraud. Now one of the world’s most wanted men, he disappeared. Where was he hiding and would he face justice?

The Diamond King: Coming Friday 10th July.
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John’s investigation keeps coming up against brick walls - and five decades on, so does Katherine’s. When Kenya admits to a cover-up it begins to make sense. But it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Who exactly were the authorities covering up for, and was the British government involved? As her reporting comes to a close, Katherine celebrates a young woman whose life was cut short; and at the eleventh hour, a chat with a Mi6 agent sheds new light on Julie’s case.

Archive in this episode: ITN via Getty, The Telegraph

Get in touch: juliewardcase@telegraph.co.uk

Watch the accompanying film to this series: https://youtu.be/T8VhCxyx3O0

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Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.