A fugitive Indian jeweler accused of a $1.8bn bank fraud has been arrested in Belgium

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NEW DELHI (AP) — Fugitive Indian jeweler Mehul Choksi, who has been accused of involvement in one of India’s biggest bank frauds, has been arrested in Belgium, his lawyer said Monday.

Choksi and his diamond tycoon nephew Nirav Modi are accused of a $1.8 billion fraud involving Punjab National Bank, the country’s second-largest public lender. Both fled India in 2018.

The arrest was made following an extradition request by Indian authorities, local media reported.

Choksi was arrested on Saturday in the Belgian port city of Antwerp, one of the most important diamond trading hubs in the world. His lawyer, Vijay Aggarwal, told reporters that Choksi's legal team would file an appeal for his release.

Both Choksi and Modi have denied the accusations.

Punjab National Bank accused Choksi, Modi and others of fraud by using fake financial documents to get loans to buy and import jewels.

Aggarwal said the “obvious” grounds for the appeal would be that Choksi is “not a flight risk, is extremely sick and undergoing treatment for cancer.” He also said they would argue that Choksi's was a “political” case and mount their defense on grounds that Indian prisons have inhumane conditions.

Modi, who built an international jewelry empire that stretched from India to New York and Hong Kong, was arrested in Britain in 2019. He has been in prison since.