Antwerp Relevant Facts-The Antwerp Diamond Heist

Other Interesting Relevant Facts regarding Antwerp
On February 16, 2003, thieves broke into the renowned Antwerp Diamond Center and stole more than $100 million in gems. There was no sign of forced entry. Items that were easily traceable were left behind. Investigators deduced that the robbery was an inside job since the thieves were able to bypass the high-tech security system and the 24-hour guard movements around the vaults. It was also believed that the robbers might have had passes or keys to gain entry to the building because they didn't have to cut through windows or use explosives to get in. The robbers knew enough about gems to steal their records of authenticity to make their resale easier.

Less than two weeks after the break-in, police found several discarded bags in a ditch beside the main road out of Antwerp. The bags contained a partially eaten sandwich, security camera tapes and safe documents. Examination of the tapes and documents revealed that they came from the heist. Police were able to extract DNA from the half-eaten sandwich which lead them to Leonardo Notarbartolo, 51, a diamond merchant who rented office space in the Antwerp Diamond Centre and had been to the vaults on several occasions.

Notarbartolo and his Dutch wife, Adriana Crudo, appeared before a court magistrate and flatly "denied any connection to the robbery." Several other men of Italian nationality, including Ferdinando Finotto, Elio D'Onorio, Pietro Tavano and Antonio Falleti, were also believed to be a part of the heist. Investigators were able to piece together that "the gang had learned to circumvent the alarm system and had copied master keys after renting an office in the Diamond Centre in the name of a phantom company" and "during the theft, they taped over security cameras and may have put old videotapes in the surveillance system." Erik Sack, Antwerp's judicial director, was quoted in the article saying that the robbery was "a piece of genius in its simplicity."

None of the diamonds have been found; they've probably have been sold off or hidden. The suspects' trial dates have not yet been set, but prosecutors are demanding a 10 year prison sentence and a 10,000 fine for Notarbartolo. They are also demanding that Ferdinando Finotto, Elio D'Onorio and Pietro Tavano receive five-year sentences and fines of 5,000 euros each. Prosecutors are less confident with securing lengthy sentences for Falleti and Crudo because of the lack of evidence linking them directly to the crime.

Antwerp’s bustling diamond industry, which has always prided itself on security, feared that the robbery would negatively impact business, but the actual repercussions have been minimal. Today, Antwerp still remains one of the leading diamond capitals of the world. Since the robbery, the city has managed to reinforce both the diamond district's security and reputation.

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