Kriti Mehrotra
Antwerp’s Diamond District is undeniably the world’s largest diamond center, considering about 84% of rough gems across the globe pass through it at one point or another. Therefore, it is also believed to be one of the most secure places, which is why it was a complete shock when the vaults of one of the buildings at the center of this hub were robbed during the weekend of February 15/16, 2003. As explored in Netflix’s ‘Stolen: Heist of the Century,’ thieves actually broke into the Diamond Center building at 9/11 Schupstraat, taking items worth more than $100 million.
The Stolen Diamonds From the Antwerp Heist Have Never Been Recovered
It was on the morning of February 17, 2003, that the vault door of the Diamond Center building was found wide open, with 109 out of 189 safe-deposit boxes inside being empty. The other boxes hadn’t even been opened, and many physically big yet valuable items were also left scattered on the ground, making it clear the robbers were mindful about time as well as the goods they were taking. In other words, they only grabbed small diamonds, gems, gold, jewelry, stocks, cash, and bonds that could easily be resold, redistributed, used, or converted via legal or illegal channels.
According to reports, the estimated value of these stolen treasures was at least $100 million, but with appreciation over time and their significance, it could now be worth over $500 million. This is imperative to note because even though officials were able to identify the perpetrators within a relatively short period of time, they were never able to recover anything consequential. These perpetrators were: alleged mastermind Leonardo Notarbartolo, “Speedy”/mastermind’s friend Pietro Tavano, “The Monster” Ferdinando Finotto, and “The Genius” Elio D’Onorio. There was another individual whom these assailants described as “The Master of Keys,” yet he has never been identified.
It was Leonardo renting an office in the targeted building, their careless dumping of heist-related trash in the woods near the E19 Highway, and a past similar case that led to their downfall. In fact, the alleged Italian mastermind was arrested on February 21, 2003, following which the address of their safe house – his locally rented apartment – also came to light, resulting in the uncovering of additional evidence. That’s how detectives found SIM card packets and were able to track the assailants’ route from their safe house to the target, back to the safe house, and then to an alleged meeting point in Italy to distribute the loot. Nevertheless, they were still unable to recover any of the goods.
The Stolen Diamonds Are Most Likely in the Possession of the Thieves
While a few tiny pieces of emeralds were found among the thrown trash as well as the carpet of Leonardo’s apartment, Antwerp detectives were never able to locate any other jewels/goods. In their investigation, they even requested French authorities to raid Ferdinando Finotto’s girlfriend’s French Riviera home, but still, all that was recovered from the heist here were a few marked $100 bills. They did not find the Turin, Italy native known as “The Monster” or any other item related to the robbery, leaving the Belgian officials no choice but to proceed with the case with a few co-defendants in absentia. They were all convicted and sentenced to 5-10 years in prison while also being ordered to pay fines.
In the end, after everything has been said and done, it is believed by many that the thieves’ biggest problem now is not getting caught spending the fortune the heist has possibly earned them. After all, because almost everything they nabbed was difficult to identify/separate from others, police suspect they have long resold or redistributed them into circulation so as to benefit from the cash. However, Ferdinando reportedly continued thieving, and Leonardo once asserted that if he “really had (the loot), I’d retire to private life. I’ve always been a thief… And I never stopped, except for some breaks. A pack of cigarettes full of diamonds… just that.”
Nevertheless, we should mention that Leonardo has been leading a rather comfortable life since his release from prison and was even stopped by the local police in Milan on July 14, 2009. They had conducted a routine stop on a vehicle they “considered suspicious” – a flashy, brand-new BMW 120D – only to find a kilogram of rough diamonds between the car seats. The former convict tried asserting he had purchased them from London before also presenting the officers with a receipt, yet it was dated June 3, 2003, when he was in prison. Authorities did suspect the document was forged and that the gems were possibly from the 2003 heist, but they could never prove the same, resulting in him getting to walk away. Thus, it’s truly unclear where the stolen items are today.
Read More: Who is Leonardo Notarbartolo’s Wife? Where is She Now?
