While the heist itself comprises most of the book, the authors discuss culture and industry information as needed. They had very little clue of what had happened. It's even mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records as the Diamond Heist of the Century! Of all the modern heists on this list, the Antwerp diamond heist of 2003 may be the one that most closely resembles the plot of a Hollywood thriller.. Masterminded by professional thief Leonardo Notarbartolo, the target was nothing less than the biggest diamond district in the world, where the vast majority of the world’s rough diamonds were and still are traded. It took place in Antwerp, Belgium, during the weekend of 15–16 February 2003. The Antwerp diamond heist, dubbed the "heist of the century", was by far the largest diamond heist and one of the largest robberies in history. Copyright Â© 2015-2020 - www.VisitAntwerpCity.com - All rights reserved. The … Set in the middle of Antwerp, Belgium’s diamond district, the center held hundreds of millions of dollars worth of diamonds, jewels, gold, and other treasures. The heist series with a comedic twist is inspired by the 2003 ‘Antwerp Diamond Heist’. The Antwerp diamond heist played just like a scene out of Ocean's Eleven or The Italian Job. The Antwerp diamond heist, dubbed the "heist of the century," was one of the largest robberies in history. March 2-4, 2007. One of these robbers was a very sleek, elegant and charming man, who had an office in the Antwerp Diamond Centre. The Antwerp Diamond District is one of the most heavily secured places in the world, with billions of dollars of diamonds changing hands there every year. This is how you get around a sophisticated alarm system!! In this Monday, Feb. 24, 2003 file photo, people pass a jewelry store in the diamond quarter in Antwerp, Belgium. Things speed up as the job is successfully pulled off through a combination of skill, luck and poor security. It took place in Antwerp, Belgium, during the weekend of 15–16 February 2003. News. Noy, you must now that the diamond heist was noticed on Monday morning, but actually had taken place in the weekend before. Meanwhile, more information about how the robbers got access to the vault, without alarming the alarm system. This diamond heist has rightfully earned the moniker of the 'heist of the century'. As you might know, Antwerp is one of the biggest marketplaces of diamonds in the world. The day after Valentine's Day … The same with the security. De Wolf says the Antwerp diamond community is shocked by the “brutal heist” which included both rough and polished stones. How did they manage to fool those? The city was the scene of a spectacular robbery in 2003 when thieves made off … Diamond heist, Antwerp - $100million In 2003, thieves cleared vaults at the Antwerp Diamond Centre during a weekend, with diamonds, gold and jewellery worth over $100million taken. It didn't even notice that the vault was being robbed. As the concierge was supposed to keep an eye out during that weekend, he was interrogated by the police. Leonardo … We are talking about infrared heat detectors, Doppler radar, a seismic sensor, a magnetic … Antwerp World Diamond Centre The suspects Leonardo Notarbartolo, a smalltime jeweller, was sentenced to 10 years based on circumstantial evidence. February 2003 - … The robbery in 2003 was the biggest diamond heist the world has ever seen. Remember the 2003 Antwerp diamond theft? The code, they must have seen this when the usual gatekeeper opens the vault for the clients. Thieves: ... their precise value is hard to gauge—the theft would be the biggest diamond heist in history. During their escape that night, and nobody was following them as everybody was unaware of the robbery, one of the robbers panicked and they had to park the car somewhere in a forest in Belgium. (Objective meaning the value of stolen goods is accurate. He called the police because of the debris, which contained videotape film strung about, a half-eaten sandwich, dozens of small diamonds, and a receipt for a video surveillance system. With Eddie Marsan. But, thanks to one gang member, things eventually fell apart. There are 5 ways to get from Belgium to Antwerp diamond heist by train, bus, taxi, car or rideshare. “What we are talking about is obviously a … Soon, Speedy was throwing the evidence into the woods. Meet The Man Who Claimed To Have Disguised Jack The Ripper, U.S. The Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC) heist is one of the most notorious robberies in history. The Antwerp Diamond Heist: $100 Million Gone And Never Recovered. In February 2003, Notarbartolo was arrested for heading a ring of Italian thieves. They bypassed cameras, the combo dial, the keyed lock, magnetic sensors, the locked steel gate, light sensors, heat and motion sensors, and keypad disarming sensors. While law enforcement believes that Notarbartolo was the ringleader, he has said that an unnamed diamond dealer recruited him. On the way back, Speedy had a panic attack, and made Notarbartolo pull the car over. Though arrests were made and time was served, most of the diamonds stolen remain unrecovered. It's even mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records as the Diamond Heist of the Century! In 2003, thieves cleared vaults at the Antwerp Diamond Centre during a weekend, with diamonds, gold … So, the guy sat out his prison time and he is a free man as I'm writing this. The diamond heist in question took place in Antwerp, Belgium, and it saw a crew of Italian thieves somehow get passed 10 layers of security to the vault underneath the Antwerp Diamond Center, where they stole a reported $100 million worth of goods including diamonds, gold and all … During that week following the heist, a farmer found these bags and called the police. Then, they loaded up bags of diamonds and other jewels. In this notorious robbery, nearly $100 million worth of diamonds were stolen. The Antwerp diamond heist played just like a scene out of Ocean's Eleven or The Italian Job. After planning an attack for four years, the thieves ultimately … It happened in the Belgian city's diamond district — hub of the world's diamond trade — at the Diamond Center, the district's largest building. Here is the story of the “heist of the century,” the Antwerp Diamond Heist. Directed by Steve Baker. The Antwerp Diamond Center was one of the most secure buildings in the world. Well, like I said, these guys were pros in their field and must have tested this back home. (Objective meaning the value of stolen goods is accurate. In the Antwerp Diamond Centre, diamonds change hands from Monday till Friday. Finally, on Feb. 16, 2003, they executed their plan. Extreme detailled information to prepare the Antwerp Diamond Heist was gathered during this time and no one ever suspected him! 100 million euro worth of diamonds dissappeared in thin air! Then, with the help of a group of dealers, and Notarbartolo’s School of Turin, the thieves devised a way to get into the secure vault. Dark of the Sun (1968) A mercenary squad is sent to a … The Antwerp Diamond Heist video. It took two hours to get it all out of the building. With hundreds of millions of dollars worth of diamonds stored in its subterranean vault, it had to be. Antwerp, Belgium is one of the diamond capitals of the world, with 80 percent of the world’s diamonds passing through the city before being sold on the market. Where: Antwerp World Diamond Centre, Belgium. The Antwerp Diamond Heist of 2003 has provided the inspiration for a new Italian scripted series unveiled today by global streamer Amazon Prime Video. Now, to unlock the vault, a numeric code and a key were necessary. The Antwerp Diamond Heist, 2003. With an enormous amount of diamonds, hidden away, I'm sure he and his comrades are living like kings, somewhere on this planet... About Me | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact Me. Contents. Postal Service Faked Delivery Times So Amazon Prime Customers Wouldn't Be Reimbursed, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. The day after Valentine's Day in … Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. Recently, two Chinese nationals ran out of luck after they were caught for replacing diamond jewellery worth Rs 34 lakh with fake ones at an expo in Mumbai.The ingenuity of the crime draws comparisons with another bold robbery in 2003 — the Antwerp diamond heist, also known as the ‘heist of the century’ — where nearly $100 million worth of diamonds were stolen. Haul: $100 million. Two years were spend planning the theft and the description of this time makes for slow reading. The Italian masterbrain got eventually 10 years of prison, as they could prove that he was the leader of the gang. The three other Italians were, until today never found, as well as the diamonds. He had no clue! Apparantly, the key was stored in a tin box on the wall, in the room next door to the vault. Rome2rio makes travelling from Amsterdam to Antwerp diamond heist easy. He didn't see or hear anything. The incredible story of how a gang breached what was thought to be one of the most secure vaults in the world, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre, to steal around ninety-one million pounds worth of diamonds, gold and jewellery. This is the story of how one gang of thieves pulled off the heist of the century and did the impossible. Leonardo Notarbartolo known as organiser of the “diamond robbery of the century” was released from prison. The man behind the Antwerp diamond heist, Leonardo Notarbatolo, was familiar with the area. Where: Antwerp World Diamond Centre, Belgium. Thieves stole loose diamonds, gold, silver and other type of jewelry valued at more than $100 million. I restored it because it was drawing such good page hits. What made this heist so improbable, and so fascinating, was the layers of security measures the thieves had to overcome. During this panick, the robber threw out a few binbags that held their burglary tools, money, some small diamonds, some paper and so on. After calming his friend down, they recovered most of the contents and sped off. Directed by Steve Baker. The Smartest Diamond Robbery. The alarm system was still armed. The Antwerp street of Hoveniersstraat might look drab but hides a glittering jewel industry that handles most of the world's diamonds. The vault of the Antwerp Diamond Centre was at that time, considered as one of the most secure vaults in the world. How could anyone break in, without being caught?! Credit: Yves Logghe/AP. The heist took place during the weekend of 15-16 February 2003 in the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) located in the centre of the gem district in Antwerp, Belgium. Nice and quiet the usual way. Notarbartolo, who was a tenant of the Diamond Centre, was found guilty of orchestrating the heist. Antwerp is the world’s prime diamond trading hub; eight in 10 of all rough and half of all polished diamonds are traded in Antwerp. The Antwerp Diamond Heist is known as one of the largest diamond heists in history, with about $100 million worth of valuables stolen right out from under one of the most guarded diamond locations in … Antwerp diamond heist . In February, 2003 Notarbartolo along with three associates penetrated Antwerp Diamond Centre depot and stole 100 to 400 million euros worth of diamond and other jewelry, cash and securities. The Antwerp Diamond Heist will go into history as one of the biggest diamond heists ever pulled off. The Antwerp Diamond Center was one of the most secure buildings in the world. All cameras were covered by black binbags and attached with fine rope. Your curiosity knows no bounds. The Antwerp Diamond heist. The Antwerp diamond heist, dubbed the "heist of the century", was one of the largest robberies in history. 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