A man in Shanghai, China, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing a limited-edition diamond-set ladies’ watch worth more than three million yuan (about RM1.7 million) from a friend’s housewarming party to give it to his girlfriend.
According to CCTV News on October 10, the incident occurred at around 11.30pm on January 3, 2025, when the victim, identified as Su, reported the theft to police.
Su had recently moved into a new home and was hosting a housewarming gathering for friends and relatives. While preparing to show his collection to his guests, he discovered that the luxury watch had gone missing.
Police officers inspected the property and found that the doors and windows were intact, with no signs of forced entry. This led investigators to initially rule out the possibility of an outsider breaking into the home.
After reviewing surveillance footage of Su’s moving process, officers established that the watch had still been hanging on the outside of his shoulder bag when he arrived at the new property. This indicated that it had disappeared after he moved in.
Investigators subsequently examined the 12 guests who had entered the room that evening. However, the lack of crucial evidence left the investigation at a standstill.
A breakthrough came when police discovered that a woman was attempting to sell a luxury watch of the same model on an online platform. Its serial number and distinctive features matched those of Su’s stolen timepiece.
Further investigations led officers to the woman’s boyfriend, identified as Yang, who turned out to be a close friend of Su.
Police found that Yang had previously faced financial difficulties with his business and had sold a watch he had given his girlfriend, causing a rift in their relationship.
In an attempt to win her back, Yang allegedly seized the opportunity during Su’s housewarming party to steal the valuable watch and present it to her as another gift.
Unaware that the watch was stolen, the girlfriend planned to sell it for cash. Her attempt to dispose of the timepiece through the second-hand market ultimately exposed the theft.
Following the trial, the court sentenced Yang to 10 years in prison for theft.
