In what looks like to be the biggest diamond heist in Antwerp since 2003, eight masked men made away with US$ 50 million worth of diamonds from a Swiss passenger plane on February 18.

According to Brussels prosecutor’s spokeswoman Anja Bijnens, the robbers were “professionals” The eight men had disguised themselves as police, broke through security barriers and forced their way into the cargo of a Swiss-bound plane operated by Helvetic Airways.

They took 120 packages from the plane’s hold before fleeing the same way they had come in. Caroline De Wolf of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre estimated the loss to be worth US$ 50m. She said that the diamonds were rough stones being transported from Antwerp to Zurich.

Though the men flashed machine guns no shots were fired and nobody was hurt.

The relevant authorities are still investigating how it happened “We abide by the most stringent rules,” says airport spokesman Jan Van Der Crujsse.

 

source luxuryinsider.com