But they didn’t realize they were on private property, which belonged to August Van Camp, a Belgian hermit. Copyright Â© 2015-2020 - www.VisitAntwerpCity.com - All rights reserved. It took place in Antwerp, Belgium, during the weekend of 15–16 February 2003. The Antwerp Diamond heist also known as the heist of the century , so in 2003 LEONARDO NOTARBATOLO and 4 other men decided to rob The Antwerp Diamond world center which contained one of the best security systems of the planet , a system that you could only see in movies). Diamond Heist is a heist that takes place in a privately owned skyscraper containing a jewel vault. The Antwerp Diamond Center was supposed to be impenetrable. Still, there were sensors that detect movement, heat, vibration and cameras! The day after Valentine's Day in … It turns out that the idea of operating solo was a good thought. The police and the justice department managed to track him down and after long and tedious interrogations, they arrested him for being the brain of the Antwerp Diamond Heist. In 2003, thieves cleared vaults at the Antwerp Diamond Centre during a weekend, with diamonds, gold … Here is the story of the “heist of the century,” the Antwerp Diamond Heist. The same with the security. The Antwerp Diamond Heist will go into history as one of the biggest diamond heists ever pulled off. 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. The Belgian courts sentenced him to 10 years in prison. The robbery in 2003 was the biggest diamond heist the world has ever seen. The book goes through the background behind the crime, scrupulously detailing the work of the School of Turin, a group of mostly small-time thieves who pulled off the score of a lifetime. No. With hundreds of millions of dollars worth of diamonds stored in its subterranean vault, it had to be. The vault of the Antwerp Diamond Centre was at that time, considered as one of the most secure vaults in the world. Notarbartolo claims that they only got $20 million of merchandise. 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. 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 sorts of other jewelry. 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 the world. Hi dearies , I have a question for you … Does crime compensate ? In February 2003, Notarbartolo was arrested for heading a ring of Italian thieves. Credit: Yves Logghe/AP. There are 5 ways to get from Belgium to Antwerp diamond heist by train, bus, taxi, car or rideshare. On the way back, Speedy had a panic attack, and made Notarbartolo pull the car over. What was clear from the start, is that these guys were pros and that they knew their way to the vault as their back garden. Extreme detailled information to prepare the Antwerp Diamond Heist was gathered during this time and no one ever suspected him! During that week following the heist, a farmer found these bags and called the police. Where: Antwerp World Diamond Centre, Belgium. During the weekend of February 15th, 2003, a team of professional thieves carried off what was one of the largest diamond heist of all time. It’s no surprise that its security system was constructed accordingly. After calming his friend down, they recovered most of the contents and sped off. The vault was opened by its key and code, so no drilling or cutting or any other Medieval tool. The Diamond Center at the heart of Antwerp's historic gem district has surveillance cameras everywhere and requires special passes to get in. The Antwerp diamond heist played just like a scene out of Ocean's Eleven or The Italian Job. The company has greenlit Everybody Loves Diamonds from Fremantle-owned prodco Wildside in Rome, with CEO Mario Gianani (My Brilliant Friend) and head of international productions Lorenzo Gangarossa (The Young Pope) producing. The AWDC used elaborate security mechanisms to protect diamonds, including a private security force, a lock with 100 million possible combinations, infrared heat detectors, a seismic sensor, Doppler radar and a … This room was closed by a simple wooden door that can be opened by any grandma. Though arrests were made and time was served, most of the diamonds stolen remain unrecovered. It occurred in the diamond district of Belgium on the weekend of February 15-16, 2003. Diamond heist, Antwerp - $100million. He sometimes traveled there to pawn off diamonds stolen back home in Italy, having been a thief since the age of eight (his first victim was the milkman). (Objective meaning the value of stolen goods is accurate. This diamond heist has rightfully earned the moniker of the 'heist of the century'. It took place in Antwerp, Belgium, during the weekend of 15–16 February 2003. The Antwerp Diamond Center was one of the most secure buildings in the world. Two years were spend planning the theft and the description of this time makes for slow reading. Anna Frodesiak 00:30, 22 February 2013 (UTC) See also item: List of missing treasure. The Antwerp Diamond heist. After this look at the Antwerp diamond heist, read up on the Berlin gold coin heist that’s as unbelievable as they come. It's even mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records as the Diamond Heist of the Century! Antwerp's judicial director, Eric Sack said thieves copied the masterkeys. Stolen artwork's value is difficult to quantify.) The show … It took two hours to get it all out of the building. The Antwerp Diamond Center was one of the most secure buildings in the world. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. The gems were about to be flown to Antwerp, Europe's diamond capital, when the robbers struck. He had no clue! The Antwerp diamond heist, dubbed the "heist of the century", was one of the largest robberies in history. 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. With the vault 2 stories underground and protected by 10 layers of security, any reasonably-minded person would consider this robbery daunting and impossible. 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. Dark of the Sun (1968) A mercenary squad is sent to a … Well, a recent Wired magazine article talked to one of its perpetrators, ... (Though the last diamond heist picture, Flawless, came and went without a trace.) But, thanks to one gang member, things eventually fell apart. 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. Find all the transport options for your trip from Amsterdam to Antwerp diamond heist right here. 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. The crew breaks into the Garnet building skyscraper with the intent of robbing Garnet's vault of its valuable jewels. 13 march 2009. With hundreds of millions of dollars worth of diamonds stored in its subterranean vault, it had to be. Leonardo Notarbartolo known as organiser of the “diamond robbery of the century” was released from prison. This book describes a heist that probably brought the thieves more than $100 million dollars in cash, diamonds and other valuables. Things speed up as the job is successfully pulled off through a combination of skill, luck and poor security. News. Noy, you must now that the diamond heist was noticed on Monday morning, but actually had taken place in the weekend before. Leonardo … 100 million euro worth of diamonds dissappeared in thin air! The heist was estimated at some $50-million in diamonds, said Caroline De Wolf of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. Remember the 2003 Antwerp diamond theft? Haul: $100 million. If only Leonardo Notarbatolo decided to act on his own, the smartest diamond robbery ever could have been successful. The thieves got through the 10 layers of security, previously thought to be impenetrable. While the heist itself comprises most of the book, the authors discuss culture and industry information as needed. And it was there in 2003 that one gang of thieves pulled off one of the largest diamond heists in history. The police and the justice department were baffeled. It didn't even notice that the vault was being robbed. This is the story of how one gang of thieves pulled off the heist of the century and did the impossible. World's biggest jewellery heists. On Monday morning, the 17th of Februari 2003, the Antwerp police, responsable for supervising the diamond neighbourhood and its business, got a call that a heist had taken place at the Antwerp Diamond Centre. During this panick, the robber threw out a few binbags that held their burglary tools, money, some small diamonds, some paper and so on. Organiser Of The World’s Biggest Diamond Heist Released. 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. “What we are talking about is obviously a … The alarm system was still armed. 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. What made this heist so improbable, and so fascinating, was the layers of security measures the thieves had to overcome. While law enforcement believes that Notarbartolo was the ringleader, he has said that an unnamed diamond dealer recruited him. 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. Meanwhile, more information about how the robbers got access to the vault, without alarming the alarm system. Finally, on Feb. 16, 2003, they executed their plan. The Antwerp Diamond Heist of 2003 has provided the inspiration for a new Italian scripted series unveiled today by global streamer Amazon Prime Video. I think visitors liked it, or at least 10k felt it worth clicking in a single day. The 50-minute first episode of Heist with Michael Caine is dedicated to the audacious Antwerp diamond heist of 2003. In Belgium, whether you steal a 100 million euros of diamonds or some candy in the shop, you can get only charged for a maximum of 5 years in prison! As the concierge was supposed to keep an eye out during that weekend, he was interrogated by the police. In 2003, Antwerp was the scene of one of the biggest diamond heists in history, when thieves took precious stones, jewels and gold from the high-security vaults at its diamond centre. Directed by Steve Baker. Flawless by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Cambell takes a look at the heist at the Diamond Center in Antwerp. How did they manage to fool those? Meet The Man Who Claimed To Have Disguised Jack The Ripper, U.S. 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. This is how you get around a sophisticated alarm system!! So, that's the key. It occurred in the diamond district of Belgium on the weekend of February 15-16, 2003. It took place in Antwerp, Belgium, during the weekend of 15–16 February 2003. Antwerp diamond heist . Where: Antwerp World Diamond Centre, Belgium. More than 30 suspects in a spectacular $50 million diamond heist have been rounded up in three countries and at least some of the precious stones … The Antwerp diamond heist played just like a scene out of Ocean's Eleven or The Italian Job. Your curiosity knows no bounds. It was enough evidence to link the crime to Notarbartolo. Stolen artwork's value is difficult to quantify.) The heist was accomplished without a shot being fired. We are talking about infrared heat detectors, Doppler radar, a seismic sensor, a magnetic … The Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC) heist is one of the most notorious robberies in history. Thieves stole loose diamonds, gold, and jewellery valued at more than $100 million. The man behind the Antwerp diamond heist, Leonardo Notarbatolo, was familiar with the area. All cameras were covered by black binbags and attached with fine rope. March 2-4, 2007. The Italian masterbrain got eventually 10 years of prison, as they could prove that he was the leader of the gang. The Antwerp Diamond Heist, 2003. Antwerp's judicial director, Eric Sack said thieves copied the masterkeys. This unidentified man, Notarbartolo claims, paid him to take pictures of the vault’s complex security system and created a replica of the vault. 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. The Antwerp Diamond Heist will go into history as one of the biggest diamond heists ever pulled off. However, Tavano didn’t have his friend’s level head. Labeled at the time as the "Heist … De Wolf says the Antwerp diamond community is shocked by the “brutal heist” which included both rough and polished stones. Two stories underground, an impossibly complex vault stored hundreds of millions of dollars in stones, gold, silver, and cash. In the weekend, there's only a concierge. 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. 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. In the Antwerp Diamond Centre, diamonds change hands from Monday till Friday. The three other Italians were, until today never found, as well as the diamonds. Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History details the 2003 Antwerp diamond heist, the largest objective heist in history. 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 … Antwerp diamond heist, 2013, $120 million. In this Monday, Feb. 24, 2003 file photo, people pass a jewelry store in the diamond quarter in Antwerp, Belgium. And it was there in 2003 that one gang of thieves pulled off one of the largest diamond heists in history. They used aluminum to trick the magnetic field and stripped plastic off the wires of the sensor’s circuits. Heist has rightfully earned the moniker of the largest robberies in history details the 2003 diamond... Robbery of the most secure buildings in the weekend of 15–16 February 2003 the antwerp diamond heist they hauled the diamonds into couple! 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