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Diamond heist at trading centreBRUSSELS (AP) — Thieves emptied more than 100 vaults at a diamond trading centre in what officials said might be the largest theft ever in Antwerp, the gem trading capital of the world.Authorities were still trying Tuesday to determine the amount of the loss from the cellar of a building that houses dozens of gem trading companies in a city that has been a centre of the trade in precious stones since the 16th century.The thieves bypassed heavy security to steal the diamonds from 123 of 160 vaults in the cellar of the Antwerp Diamond Centre over the weekend.There was no sign of forced entry in the break-in so authorities suspect an inside job.Previously, the largest theft on record in Antwerp occurred in 1994, when thieves cleaned out five vaults in the Diamond Centre. The loss was estimated at about $7 million Cdn.TWo Israelis and another man from Brazil were convicted in that theft but their case is on appeal.The total in the weekend burglary was likely to be much larger, said Youri Steverlynck, a spokesperson for the High Diamond Council, which regulates the gem trade.We are certainly talking about many millions,” Steverlynck said.The Diamond Centre, in the heart of Antwerp’s historic gem district, has extremely heavy security including surveillance cameras and round-the-clock guards for the vaults.
Newspaper Details
Medicine Hat News
Medicine Hat, Alberta, CA
Wed, Feb 19, 2003
Page 22
Full Page
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University O.
TX, USA 28 Nov 2023
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