Who Buys Blood Diamonds [ EXCLUSIVE ]
Jewellers and wholesalers may unwittingly purchase diamonds that passed through illicit channels, as traffickers hide the diamonds' origins.
In the 1990s, blood diamonds constituted up to 15% of the global trade, generating huge profits from consumer sales. 3. Companies and State-Linked Entities who buys blood diamonds
Those who buy or profit from blood diamonds include middlemen, criminal syndicates, and, often unknowingly, international retailers and consumers. 1. Illicit Traders and Smugglers Companies and State-Linked Entities Those who buy or
The initial buyers are typically black-market merchants and organized crime syndicates, particularly in West and Central Africa. Because blood diamonds can be mixed with legitimate
Because blood diamonds can be mixed with legitimate stocks and subsequently cut and polished, they become virtually identical to non-conflict diamonds, making them difficult to detect once they reach consumers.
In modern cases, blood diamonds are not always linked to non-state rebels; sometimes, they are linked to state-sanctioned abuses or forced labor.
Rebel factions in countries like Angola, Sierra Leone, and the Central African Republic (CAR) directly seize diamond mines and sell the stones to arms traffickers to fund military campaigns.