The World's Coolest Diamond Heists
Diamond Heists of the Century
The diamond heist of the century have mystified and entertained us over the past several decades. Here are some of the coolest diamond heist thus far.
Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam Heist (2005): Thieves steal truck loaded with diamonds at Schiphol Airport
On Feb. 25, 2005, the Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam heist occurred when thieves hijacked a truck filled with diamonds. To ensure the success of their plan, the thieves conducted a trial run of their plan in a stolen KLM Cargo truck just two weeks before the heist. One of the gang entered the freight area at Schiphol airport to keep an eye on the situation. Wearing stolen KLM uniforms, the thieves drove a stolen KLM truck to the truck containing the diamonds scheduled to be flown to Antwerp.The gang overpowered the drivers of the truck carrying the diamonds in front of witnesses and drove off with the gems at gunpoint. In spite of several witnesses, the gang forced the drivers out of the truck at gunpoint and had them to lie facedown on the ground. They then took off in the truck and drove away. It was the second heist the airport experience in six months. The police authorities suspected it was an inside job but had little evidence to go on.
The Museon Museum: The Hague, Netherlands: Approx $12 million
In December 2002, The Museon Museum: The Hague, Netherlands was the crime scene for approx $12 million heist. Historical jewelry including stones belonging to the royal family were part of an exhibition on display. In spite of the stepped up security measures and video surveillance monitoring, the Museum staff discovered 6 of the 23 empty cases the morning after the robbery. According to the authority, the true value of the items stolen is priceless because several were historical piece dating back centuries before. Not even the 24 hour security guards witnessed the robbery take place and detectives never catch the thieves. Both the robbery and the whereabouts of the gems still remains a complete mystery.
Damiani Showroom in Milan, Italy (2008): thieves drill 4ft into showroom and steal $20 million in gems
The Damiani showroom in Milan, Italy heist occurred on Feb. 3, 2008. World-famous jeweler, Damiani was robbed when thieves stole millions of dollars worth of diamonds, rubies and gold from the Damiani showroom in Milan. In spite of the élite jewelry high-tech security, the thieves drilled a hole through a 4-foot wall in the morning to gain entrance. A neighbor called the police to complain about he construction noise but the police did not act on the complaint. The gang entered through the showroom's basement from next door wearing police uniforms. The unarmed thieves gained access through an internal, unguarded entrance, at 10 AM. Pretending to be officials, the thieves then inquired about certain store records before subduing and tying up the staff. One employee was temporarily untied to open the safe and one hour later the thieve fled with approximately $20 million in diamonds, rubies and gold.
Antwerp Diamond Center, Antwerp, Belgium (2003): $100 million heist sets record
Antwerp Diamond Center building is one of the most prestigious in the world. It houses 160 safety deposit boxes used by diamond brokers in between brokering deals. On Feb. 16, 2003, the heist took place and 123 deposit boxes were emptied. Unable to carry more, the thieves had to leave the remaining 37 vaults unopened. Prior to the heist, the gang spent several years planning and even rented office space in the building three years before. The rental provided them with access to the security system and surveillance cameras. The alarm was raised when Diamond Center employees discover loose diamonds scattered in the vault. Approximately $100 million in diamonds were stolen making it the largest diamond heist in Antwerp. The gang responsible for the diamond heist was the "School of Turin," a "brilliant" group of thieves known for never using violence. DNA found from a half eaten sandwich was discovered along with several discarded diamond heist bags. This led the police to one of the gang members. A fingerprint of a diamond merchant with years in the business was discovered in the vault. An investigation brought about several arrests when the authorities were led to Italy.
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