His companion, Jan Traal, representative of a South African diamond syndicate, had brought along a mere quarter million in uncut stones, for delivery to a wealthy purchaser, Donald Kreld.
The South African diamond syndicate is a closed corporation that controls everything.
Lamont Cranston was quite familiar with the operations of the South African diamond syndicate, and knew the tight grip that it held upon the entire trade, from brokers to cutters.
Traal was celebrating the successful sale that had paved the way to future business and would square him with the diamond syndicate, should they learn how he had pushed matters.
Some correspondence from the South African diamond syndicate.
As a salesman for the diamond syndicate, you could realize huge commissions, while keeping the stolen goods for the future.
So Milbrook is keeping them down in the safe of the diamond syndicate's office.
He revived the diamond syndicate after a rash of African discoveries between 1902 and 1919 deflated world diamond prices.
Long ago the diamond syndicate had realized that diamonds in plentiful supply were worth little more than glass, except for industrial uses.
Following the discovery of the diamond mines in South Africa, men such as Solly Joel had established a diamond syndicate to restrict the amount of diamonds on the market.