Post by LSDeep on Sept 15, 2005 8:55:57 GMT -5
so, dont tell me there is no money in diving 
By Tim Clarke
14sep05
UNDERWATER raiders have created huge waves in Western Australia's multi-million-dollar pearling industry by staging a daring dive theft of $500,000 worth of fine pearls.
In what police believe may be an "inside job", close to 300 pearls with an estimated retail value of up to $500,000 were stolen from the Clipper Pearls farm, off Quondong Point in the state's Kimberley region.
Farm owner Larry House said the theft was one of the biggest the industry had encountered.
The theft must have been carried out by a gang of thieves with a 20ft boat, specialist dive equipment and pearling experience, Mr House said.
Mr House, who was back at sea today, continuing his annual harvest, said the theft had hit his employees hard because they believed former workers could be behind the heist.
"We operate in one of the biggest cyclone belts in the world up here, so a certain amount of loss is built in - but this is still a very big hit to us," he said.
"It is almost like a morale blow to us. Ninety-nine per cent of the workers are good honest blokes, but it looks like someone with inside knowledge, and some people that have an idea of how the pearling industry works, have targeted us."
The perpetrators would have needed expensive dive equipment to dive nine metres to reach the pearl panels, which were then cut away with knives, Mr House said.
The fact whole panels, including the shells, were removed indicated the thieves were in a hurry, he said.
"This is people who definitely know of our farm, and there will be definitely someone out there who knows what has happened, because the pearling industry is very tight-knit," Mr House said.
A reward of $20,000 has been offered to help catch the gang, with detectives in the far-north WA town of Broome saying they were "100 per cent" certain the thieves were from within the pearling industry.
"Thefts from pearl farms do occur but not usually to this size," Acting Detective Sergeant Karl Kapiteyn said.
"These people were organised and were working with some knowledge."
Last year, the WA pearling industry was worth $128 million, with 16 operators fishing South Sea pearls along the state's coast.
Most pearl farms in the Broome district operate in protected waters, and the Clipper Pearls farm is unique in that it is ocean-based.
Within the industry, Clipper's white South Sea pearls are particularly highly regarded because of their lustre, pink or champagne tinge, and because they are without blemishes.
Mr House, who has been pearling off the WA coast for the past 25 years, said the thieves were fortunate in that this year's pearl crop appeared to be of high quality - but he said they would reach nowhere near their full value on the black market.
"They might get a bit trying to sell them piecemeal, but nowhere near their real value," Mr House said.
Anyone with information can contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.
By Tim Clarke
14sep05
UNDERWATER raiders have created huge waves in Western Australia's multi-million-dollar pearling industry by staging a daring dive theft of $500,000 worth of fine pearls.
In what police believe may be an "inside job", close to 300 pearls with an estimated retail value of up to $500,000 were stolen from the Clipper Pearls farm, off Quondong Point in the state's Kimberley region.
Farm owner Larry House said the theft was one of the biggest the industry had encountered.
The theft must have been carried out by a gang of thieves with a 20ft boat, specialist dive equipment and pearling experience, Mr House said.
Mr House, who was back at sea today, continuing his annual harvest, said the theft had hit his employees hard because they believed former workers could be behind the heist.
"We operate in one of the biggest cyclone belts in the world up here, so a certain amount of loss is built in - but this is still a very big hit to us," he said.
"It is almost like a morale blow to us. Ninety-nine per cent of the workers are good honest blokes, but it looks like someone with inside knowledge, and some people that have an idea of how the pearling industry works, have targeted us."
The perpetrators would have needed expensive dive equipment to dive nine metres to reach the pearl panels, which were then cut away with knives, Mr House said.
The fact whole panels, including the shells, were removed indicated the thieves were in a hurry, he said.
"This is people who definitely know of our farm, and there will be definitely someone out there who knows what has happened, because the pearling industry is very tight-knit," Mr House said.
A reward of $20,000 has been offered to help catch the gang, with detectives in the far-north WA town of Broome saying they were "100 per cent" certain the thieves were from within the pearling industry.
"Thefts from pearl farms do occur but not usually to this size," Acting Detective Sergeant Karl Kapiteyn said.
"These people were organised and were working with some knowledge."
Last year, the WA pearling industry was worth $128 million, with 16 operators fishing South Sea pearls along the state's coast.
Most pearl farms in the Broome district operate in protected waters, and the Clipper Pearls farm is unique in that it is ocean-based.
Within the industry, Clipper's white South Sea pearls are particularly highly regarded because of their lustre, pink or champagne tinge, and because they are without blemishes.
Mr House, who has been pearling off the WA coast for the past 25 years, said the thieves were fortunate in that this year's pearl crop appeared to be of high quality - but he said they would reach nowhere near their full value on the black market.
"They might get a bit trying to sell them piecemeal, but nowhere near their real value," Mr House said.
Anyone with information can contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.
