Over in Brussels 8 gunmen have made off
with 50 million dollars worth of rough cut diamonds stolen from the
cargo of a plane bound for Switzerland.
Baggage carts make their way past a
Helvetic Airways aircraft from which millions' of dollars worth of
diamonds were stolen on the tarmac of Brussels international airport,
Feb. 19, 2013
It's being described as one of the biggest Diamond heists in recent history. 8 masked men forced their way through a gate at Brussels Airport before unloading a cargo of rough diamonds worth millions of dollars.
Armed with machine guns and dressed in
police uniform, the gang drove up to the Swiss plane in two black
vehicles with flashing blue police lights - carrying out their raid
within minutes before escaping at high speed.
Jan Van der Cruysse, Brussels Airport
Spokesman, said, "Two cars have made access to airport territory through
the fence and have gone to the location where an aircraft of the Swiss
airline Helvetic, flying on behalf of Swiss Airlines, was being prepared
for departure. The aircraft was being loaded with cargo at that time.
They have stopped near the aircraft and, heavily armed, they have taken a
number of goods from the hold of the aircraft after which they have
sped away by car and used the same exit were they have entered the
airport territory."[Over in Brussels 8 gunmen have made off with 50
million dollars worth of rough cut diamonds stolen from the cargo of a
plane bound for Switzerland.]
A car believed to have belonged to the men was found torched on a nearby road. Investigators say the group was highly skilled.
The Diamonds were on their way to Zurich
in Switzerland from Antwerp's diamond district - one of Europe's
largest gem and jewelry trading hubs.
Back in 2003, robbers took off with
around 100 million dollars worth of gold, jewels and stones taken from
high security vaults, security has since been tightened, leaving many in
the business scratching their heads.
Caroline De Wolf, World Diamond Centre
spokeswoman, said, "It is a quite big number actually for a diamond
heist but I think that we are mainly concerned of the way that it was
able to be possible that this happened. I mean, the fact that you
normally think that an airport and certainly an international airport is
a very secure environment, which is exactly what you need when you are
trading diamonds and you transport diamonds. It is a complete shock for
us that this was even possible."
An inquiry is underway to find holes in Brussels airport security, as a manhunt for 8 masked men continues.
CCTV correspondent Sandra Gathmann,
Brussels, said, "This incident raises serious security questions, How
were the gunmen able to cross the airport perimeter so easily, and was
there help on the inside. as for the diamond trade, some sellers I spoke
to in Antwerp where the diamonds came from, say their concern is a
tainted reputation that prides itself in high security, and the fear
that insurance prices may have just spiked."
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