Armed robbers snatch $50m in uncut diamonds from Brussels ai

[Malogg Profile]

Armed robbers snatch $50m in uncut diamonds from Brussels airport

Eight heavily armed robbers have stolen a consignment of diamonds worth up to £32 million from a Brinks van on the runway of Brussels airport.


Armed men made off with a shipment of diamonds as it was being loaded onto a plane at the Brussels airport

The gang, wearing masks, hooded tops and armed with automatic weapons equipped with laser sights, struck just before 7.50pm on Monday night in a raid that lasted just three minutes.
Their target was a Brink's diamond and jewellery services truck that was loading the 8.05pm Helvetic airlines flight bound for Zurich.
The robbers used two vehicles, using a Mercedes van to break through a security fence and escaping in an Audi disguised with a blue flashing light as a police car.
The first vehicle was later recovered burned out in a Brussels suburb, the second car disappeared without trace.
The gang of robbers held Brinks and airport staff at gunpoint, ransacked the aircraft's cargo consignment and made off with a shipment of 120 small parcels of uncut and polished diamonds.

"This only lasted a few minutes and then they immediately left the airport through the damaged fence," said a spokesman for the airport.
"It is clear that the perpetrators have acted highly professionally."
The diamonds are thought to have been from Antwerp, a major European trading centre for the gems where £130 million in stones are traded every day.
"It would be at about 50 million dollars in diamonds," said Caroline Wolf, a spokesman for the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. "It is a huge amount. What concerns us is that a car could so easily access the airport tarmac."
Because many of the diamonds are uncut, the chance of recovering the stolen gems is "very small". "This is mainly rough diamonds from Antwerp. They are not cut and so there is certainly no certificate. They can just be sold and will be soon be gone," said Ms Wolf.
Belgium's De Morgen newspaper reported that investigators suspect an inside job. "You never know where precious things are in a cargo. And the perpetrators knew very clearly," said a source.
A Brinks official told De Standaard newspaper: "Thank God no one was injured, but our staff are shocked by what happened."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... rport.html

[Phoenix rising Profile]

Thats a hell of a bounty, no doubt there will be a film of it next year

[WillEase666 Profile]

Thats a hell of a bounty, no doubt there will be a film of it next year

"Ocean's 14"

[Edgar 2.0 Profile]

Thats a hell of a bounty, no doubt there will be a film of it next year

It is a lot of money.
But if you consider the fact that the value of just one day trade in NYC Diamond District is around 500 million US$...it's pretty much - nothing.

This is a great story as well :

http://www.wired.com/politics/law/magazine/17-04/ff_diamonds?currentPage=all