Because the diamond is one of the most coveted things on earth, it is no wonder there have been a number of fascinating diamond heists over the years. Some of course, the public never hears about while others have made headline news around the globe. We wanted to share one of the more famous diamond heists, reinforcing the value and importance placed on the diamond.The story covered the heist of 2003, involving the renowned Antwerp Diamond Center. The thieves broke into this Belgian company and successfully, pulled of the country’s largest diamond heists in history. Of the 160 vaults containing these precious gems, 123 were entered. As a result, the thieves were able to get away with more than $100 million in gems. What made this particular heist so intriguing is that it was not until the following day that the robbery was discovered.
Once the heist had been discovered, investigators swarmed to the scene. However, they quickly found that the thieves had not forced their way into the building. Then, when the 123 vaults were checked, the floor was covered with a number of items to include securities, safety deposit boxes, money, gold, and even some rough diamonds and other jewels. Because of the way things looked, the investigators believed that the job was done from the inside.
It was obvious that the thieves knew the ins and outs of the security system, as well as the comings and goings of the onsite, 24-hour guards. Additionally, investigators surmised that the thieves must have had some type of pass or key since no explosives were used and no windows were broken or cut. Going on the information they had and the theory built, investigators began interviewing various staff members and owners although little information came out of the investigations.
Some two weeks after the diamond heist, several discarded bags were found, each dropped off by the side of the main road going out of Antwerp. One actually contained a half-eaten sandwich, along with safe documents and tapes from the security camera. Upon further review, it was confirmed these items were from the diamond heist. However, from the sandwich, DNA was extracted, which would eventually lead authorities to a man named Leonardo Notarbartolo, a 51-year-old diamond merchant who had rented space within the Antwerp Diamond Centre. Investigators did not believe he had actually performed the heist but had some role in it.
With further study, a criminal gang was identified and several men of Italian descent arrested. These men had found a way to bypass the alarm system, using copied master keys. Although the men were captured, sadly, the diamonds were never recovered. Interestingly, the diamond heist had little if any effect on the diamond business, just the security changes for Antwerp. Because of this particular heist, diamond companies and brokers around the world have made major changes in policies and security systems to ensure this type of heist would never happen again.
Other articles of interest: