The Antwerp diamond heist was the largest ever diamond heist and one of the largest in history.
The Antwerp diamond heist—dubbed the “heist of the century”—was the largest ever diamond heist and one of the largest robberies in history. Thieves stole loose diamonds, gold, silver and other types of jewellery valued at more than $100 million. It took place in Antwerp, Belgium, during the weekend of 15–16 February 2003. Though arrests were made and time was served, most of the diamonds stolen remain unrecovered.
Speedy: Responsible for scattering rubbish in the woods. Most likely an alias of Pietro Tavano.
The Monster: Expert lockpicker, electrician, mechanic, and driver. Most likely the alias of Ferdinando Finotto.
The Genius: Most likely the alias of Elio D’Onório, an electronics expert linked to series of robberies.
King of Keys: One of the best key forgers. His identity is unknown and he remains the only member to escape.
Leonardo Notarbartolo
The vault that housed the diamonds is situated two floors below the main floor. It was protected by multiple security mechanisms, including a lock with 100 million possible combinations, infrared heat detectors, a seismic sensor, Doppler radar, and a magnetic field. The building itself had a private security force and was located in the heavily guarded and monitored Antwerp diamond district.
Leonardo Notarbartolo had rented a furnished office for approximately in the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. There, he posed as an Italian diamond merchant to gain credibility. The robbery required eighteen months of preparation.
DNA evidence from a partially eaten salami sandwich found near the crime scene
The theft was carried out by a five-man team led by Leonardo Notarbartolo, a professional thief who was skilled in social manipulation. Notarbartolo was arrested after being connected to the crime by DNA evidence from a partially eaten salami sandwich found near the crime scene.
Notarbartolo was found guilty of orchestrating the heist. He is considered to be the leader of a ring of Italian thieves called “La Scuola di Torino” (The School of Turin,) who carried out the crime. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the court of appeal of Antwerp in 2005.
