Antwerp Diamond Heist: Unrecovered Diamonds and Enduring Mystery
In February 2003, a team of Italian thieves executed the Antwerp diamond heist, stealing an estimated $100 million or more in diamonds, gold, and jewelry from the Antwerp Diamond Center's 'impenetrable' vault. The vault, located two floors beneath the streets of Antwerp, Belgium, was equipped with ten layers of high-tech security, including a combination lock with 100 million possible codes, heat sensors, a seismic sensor, Doppler radar, a magnetic field alarm, and a private security force. Leonardo Notarbartolo, a professional thief who posed as a diamond merchant, rented an office in the center to study the building and its security for over two years. His team, consisting of 'The Genius,' 'The Monster,' 'The King of Keys,' and 'Speedy,' bypassed the security systems using a combination of technical skill and low-tech tricks, such as spraying a heat and motion sensor with hairspray, using a polystyrene shield, and covering a light sensor with tape. They opened over 100 safe-deposit boxes without triggeri...