Original subtitles

Crime knows no frontiers.

To combat the growing menace of the international criminal, the police

forces of the world have opened up their own national boundaries.

At their headquarters in Paris, Scientifically equipped to match the

speed of the jet age, 63 nations have linked together to form the

International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol.

Sixty-four.

Sixty-four.

Six.

Six.

Seventeen. Seventeen.

A full crew for once.

Toss you for ships.

No, I'll take the first turn below mountain and get them going. Jules,

you're a fanatic.

Now, why must we always produce more diamonds than any other pipe? We don't

own these mines. We're none the richer.

Certainly we are. We are richer in experience.

You, you dumb Dutchman, you don't appreciate abstract wealth.

Martin Becker.

That means Jules is below.

Here come the ambulances.

Lieutenant, tell the guards to keep the main gates open.

Superintendent, what about security checks?

You help me! Do you want men to bleed to death before they can get near the

hospital?

Martin Beck, a Dutch national, wanted for questioning following explosion at

Mureco diamond mine, Portuguese Angola.

Disappeared from ambulance on way from mine to hospital.

Suspicion of sabotage, possible diamond theft.

Believed heading for Europe.

A Dutch national? I wonder what he was doing out there.

Possibly stealing diamonds.

Age 34, native of Amsterdam.

There's a full description.

Eight killed, five missing so far. Rescue work still in progress.

Where did you say this mine was, Paul?

Mureco. Uh-huh.

Here's the description.

Check with records.

If there's nothing on him, ask the Amsterdam police for a full rundown on

his background.

Put out a general call to all European capitals and alert the territories

around Angola. Right.

Yes, sir? Get me through to police headquarters Mureco, Portuguese Angola.

Lieutenant de Silva.

Look, if I had a package of diamonds to sell, I'd head straight for Amsterdam,

London or Paris.

What makes you so sure he has diamonds?

I know a mine theft when I see it.

Oh, Becker has the diamonds all right.

Probably collected over a period.

Getting them out past the security screen was his main problem. Well, he

managed that.

He blew the mine shaft.

Could be.

Any proof?

We found a wire leading from the mine to the shaft head.

And he was the only one above ground when it happened.

What else do you want? A signed confession?

Take it easy, Lieutenant.

Sorry. 13 men were killed in that explosion and 20 more injured.

I know just how you feel. Lieutenant, I've just had the rundown on Martin

Becker from the Amsterdam police.

University graduate.

Son of a big diamond merchant.

Worked two years in the family business.

Left Holland eight months ago because of a scandal.

Been swindling some of his father's clients.

He's unlikely to return to Amsterdam.

As soon as we hear something, we'll let you know.

Thank you, Lieutenant. Goodbye.

Good, send it to record.

Anything on Beke yet? There's something just coming through, Paul.

Southern Rhodesia.

Frontier check shows Beke crossed Rhodesian territory, entered Union of

South Africa. South Africa, not members of Interpol.

They'll be safe there for a while. Of course, the Angola authorities could

apply for an extradition.

It'll take time, months maybe. Long enough for him to sell the diamonds and

disappear for good.

Quite a drive.

Over 700 miles in a day.

The flying Dutchman, eh?

Johannesburg. The source of the world's diamonds. He can sell his stones there.

Well, there's nothing we can do now, Paul. The South African state police are

not members of Interpol.

But diamond security police are.

They can only operate on their own property. Could they handle this?

The diamond corporation formed one of the most powerful interests in South

Africa. They can handle this.

Send a radio message.

Captain Jan Kertzi, Allied Corporation Security.

Union of South Africa.

Tell him I'm on my way out by the first plane.

Johannesburg Airport.

Johannesburg Airport.

Announcing the arrival of flight 119 from Paris, Rome, and Nairobi.

Hello, Paul.

Hello, Jan. How are you? Did you have a good trip? Very good indeed. Nice to see

you. Nice to see you.

We'll go straight to the office.

I'll tell you about the case on the way.

Ah,

this one is more than smart.

This one has intellect.

But he's human. He must have a blind spot somewhere.

You realize that my authority is very restricted.

I can take no action unless he sets foot on corporation property.

I know.

But I can't ask the city police to help.

I can.

I've already spoken to them. Will they cooperate?

Oh, yeah, sure.

There's no rivalry between us. We both make war on diamond thieves and

murderers. We have checked that Becker was in Johannesburg eight months ago.

He spent five days here on his way from Amsterdam to Angola.

So, he could have made contacts.

Our first problem is, find him.

Oh, that's easy.

He's at the Hotel Ransman on Brinter Street.

Checked in late yesterday.

Quick work.

Thank the city police.

They did me a favor.

Jan, as I understand it, in South Africa, it is a criminal offense for any

private individual to possess uncut diamonds.

Yeah, very serious.

Doesn't matter where he came from. Unless you are a licensed dealer, just

having rough stones in your possession makes you a criminal.

We believe Becker has rough stones.

He could hardly have sold them yet.

You like that takes time If we could get him while they are still on him, I can't

make a search no official standing

Do you think you could stretch your friendship with the city police

just a few inches if they called on him to say check his passport Just routine

you understand

Martin Becker? Yeah? Police.

May I see your passport, please?

Yes. Yes, of course.

You arrived here yesterday by car from Angola across the Rhodesias, right?

That's right.

And it's a long journey.

And I'm still short of sleep.

Well, my passport's in order. What's all this about?

Police or not, you've got no right to come bursting into a man's room.

Why did you leave Angola?

I was working in the Morico mines. It was an accident. I was hurt.

I had enough, so I got out.

But you brought something with you from Morico.

I don't know what you mean.

I mean diamonds.

Four rough diamonds.

It is a criminal offense to be in possession of rough diamonds in this

country. I'll have to search your room. No, don't bother.

There's no need to tear the place apart.

I've got diamonds.

Sure I have.

Four diamonds.

Only they're not rough.

They're polished.

And there's no law against a person having polished stones.

No, Paul, I don't see how we can touch him.

He has polished stones and the record of purchase showing that he got them

legally. He's the son of a diamond merchant. He wouldn't slip up on proof

of ownership.

That record of purchase is a fake. Tracing it back would take weeks. And he

knows it. By which time he will have sold up and disappeared.

How could he get those stones polished so quickly?

Arranged it in that visit eight months ago.

There are cutters who will do it at the price.

Can you check?

My men are on it now.

We know all the possibles, but getting them to talk, that's something else.

The stones themselves could tell us more if we could get hold of them.

What do you mean?

We have experts who could tell us where it came from.

They can prove the origin of a particular diamond?

Yeah, sure.

Jan, I would like to meet one of your experts.

And this, you better compare it with the last one. It's a Brazilian yellow,

probably from the San Perano area.

And now, a very fine blue.

Kimberly blue.

I see.

This is just a simple check.

When they really start on a stone, they can practically tell you the name of the

man who dug it up.

Or stole it.

Jan, somehow we've got to get Becker's diamonds under this microscope.

Ah, ja.

Then we can prove they came from Angola.

How much would you value his four stones at?

Oh, I'd say anything between 250,000, 300,000 pounds.

800,000 dollars?

Matched. Top quality.

Tell me.

Who is the most reputable diamond merchant in the city?

Oh, I'd say Franklin Mayer. Mayer and Conway. Pretty old firm, ain't about the

biggest.

I want to talk to Mr. Mayor.

It's your idea, Paul.

I want him to act as our agent. Agent?

Yes.

If we can't get Becker's diamonds any other way, we'll buy them.

Martin Becker?

Yes, of course. Who doesn't know Mayor and Conway?

Yes, that's right.

Match set.

Yes, but how do you know about them? In the diamond business, Mr. Becker, news

travels fast.

Yes, I should like to see them as soon as possible.

And if they're all that you say they are, yes, 3.30, which should be

perfectly.

I'll see you then.

Goodbye.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You did very well.

Looks as if we will have competition.

Becker has already contacted three other dealers, maybe more, getting ready to

cash in and move out.

I can circulate all the diamond firms, warn them to lay off.

No, not to lay off. That might make him suspicious.

Tell them to keep their bids low, not over 220,000.

That way you can be sure, Mr. Mayor, you will be the highest bidder.

I understand.

I wish I had such information on every deal that I make.

May I ask, how do you propose to obtain this large sum of money?

Not out of police funds, Mr. Mayor.

Expected time of arrival?

5.45 p.m.

Right. Thank you, Lieutenant.

That was the silver.

A charter plane is on its way with specimens and diamonds from the Murico

mine. I have a car waiting at the airport.

Mr. May has hooked up fish with their fine stones.

He's agreed to sell for 240,000 pounds.

Have you the money?

The Murico mining company will back us up to 300,000.

To buy back their own stones?

To catch a murderer.

I have to confirm my offer within an hour from now.

Confirmation within the hour?

Becker's in a hurry.

He's ready to move.

Check all air, rail and steamship lines for a booking.

Next 24 hours.

Name Martin Becker.

Use his description in case he tries to book under an assumed name.

What arrangements did Becker suggest, Mr. Mayor?

The money to be paid in cash at my home on the North Hill.

I told him I didn't do business that way.

And I may say that in normal circumstances, nothing would induce me

to. These aren't normal circumstances, Mr. Mayor. And you must accept his

terms, however odd they are.

The transaction to be completed by nine o'clock this evening.

We'll have men hidden in the house.

Not in the house.

He wants me to meet him at the gates.

Not taking any chances.

North Hill is on the way to the airport.

Well, when he's got the money, he'll make a run for it.

Yeah.

I see. No, that's all.

Faker's booked out on flight 207, take-off time 9.20 p.m. for Iraq.

Iraq, another non-member of Interpol.

If he doesn't hand over his stones until 9 o'clock, we won't have time to compare

them with the Mariko samples.

How long will they need?

10 to 15 minutes, maybe. And as long again to get them from Mr. Mayer's home

to the laboratory.

We've got to find a way to delay Becker.

Give me the airport.

The traffic manager.

Hello, traffic manager?

Flight 207, just a moment, please.

I'm sorry, I can't help you. It's a VIP flight carrying the Egyptian delegation.

No, it's impossible. If we delayed the aircraft even for one minute, the estate

department would take us apart.

I'm sorry.

I see.

Goodbye.

Luck seems to be on Becker's side.

If we could only hold him for 10 or 15 minutes.

If? How?

But he hasn't broken any law here.

The South African police can't touch him.

But you could, Jan.

If he moved onto corporation property.

This way, Paul.

Couldn't be better.

The Muriko samples have arrived, Paul.

As soon as the laboratory gets Becker stones as well, they can start a

comparison. Have you timed the trip from Mayer's house to the lab? Yeah, 13 and a

half minutes.

As long as that.

Jan, you've got to squeeze every second you can.

I'll do my best, Paul. As soon as I can get Becker onto my territory.

Do you think you'll fall for it?

With the money in his hands, he'll have only one thought, catching that plane.

If Mayor can delay him for only five minutes, he'll start to worry about

missing it. A worried man gets careless.

And with the help of the airport staff, I think we can make him very careless.

Let's hope Mayor can give us this extra five minutes.

I have the money.

240,000.

Do you wish to check it?

I respect your reputation, Mr. Laird. Pleasant compliment, but a foolish one.

How do you know that bag's not filled with blank paper?

I'll take a look. I want to see the stones first.

Thank you.

No much about diamonds, Mr. Becker?

This thing's jammed.

Not jammed.

Locked. You see, I didn't trust you.

Give me the key.

Yes, yes, of course.

You see, Becker.

Any connection with Becker and Company of Amsterdam?

I want that key!

Yes, I have it on me somewhere. You young people are so impatient, aren't

you?

I've been patient for 18 months, sweating my guts out down a mineshaft.

Here.

Think about it, Wright. I'd prefer you to check it, of course.

Quite sure you understand?

Yes, sir.

Good. Keep this line open.

The stones are on the way to the laboratory and Pecker is on his way

here. Mayor did well. Now let's hope your driver can improve on his time to

the lab. Yeah.

Class 72.

Class 72.

Class 10.

Class 10.

There's nothing from the laboratory yet.

It should be here any minute now.

Better get moving, Jan.

Keep your fingers crossed.

That's six.

That's five.

That's four.

Yes, sir? You're holding a ticket for me, Becker.

Martin Becker.

Flight two, sir.

Yes, that's right, sir.

You've left it rather late, haven't you? Never mind about it. How much is it?

It was a phone booking, wasn't it, sir? Yes, yes.

Come on, hurry it up, will you?

Passengers on flight 207.

Flight 207.

Will all passengers proceed to... Give me that stuff, will you?

Sorry, sir, they have to be stamped.

Plus 60.

Plus 2.

8. Calling Mr. Martin Becker.

Mr. Martin Becker.

Urgent. Please report to boarding area immediately.

Better hurry, sir. Flight 207.

Flight 207.

Mr. Martin Becker. Wait a minute. Let me through. Final call. Flight 207.

I've got to get to that plane. Will Mr. Becker please report to the boarding

area at once?

Through there, sir. Turn left. If you hurry, you'll just make it.

One moment, Mr. Becker.

What do you want?

I'm trying to catch a plane. May I see your permit, please?

Permit? What permit?

This is corporation property.

No one is allowed in here without authorization.

I told you I've got a plane to catch.

And that's where I'm going.

Now I can't hold you. For murder.

You're crazy.

The Angola police won't think so.

Take him away.

You made it.

You can uncross them now, Jan.

240,000 pounds.

Man, I should catch a plane myself.

Where to? A non-interpol country?

It would be safer.

That's what Martin Becker thought.