The year is 2001. An Italian crook named Leonardo Notarbartolo, presents itself in Antwerp as a jewelry importer based in Turin. To join the circle of jewelers in the Flemish city, Leonardo rents an office in the heart of the diamond districtthe Antwerp World Diamond Centre.
Highly secure and monitored neighborhoodthis sector sees passing through its aisles more than half of the world’s diamonds. Only people working in this neighborhood can have access to the center’s banks, offices and meeting rooms.
Shortly after setting up the offices of his fake trading companyhe decides to open a Bank account. He then has a safe in a room provided for this purpose, located two floors below the center.
For more than two years, Leonardo will spy And will assess the security of the center. What purpose ? Committing the biggest burglary of all time !
“The heist of the century“
Two and a half years later, on the night of February 15 to 16, 2003, Leonardo and his 5 accomplices enter the bank’s safe room.
In total, the thieves the Turin school as they were nicknamed stole the contents of 123 safes, without the security systems noticing their presence. Video surveillance, motion sensors, thermal cameras… The thugs knew used trickery to conceal their theft and bypassed the security system.
Made up of diamonds, gold, jewels and cash, the loot is estimated between 100 and 400 million euros. Part of the catch was found by a hunter in garbage bags abandoned a few kilometers from Antwerp. In addition to the loot, a salami sandwich will be found among the evidence. On this sandwich, DNA by Leonardo Notarbartolo is found.
A few days later, he was arrested and his home searched. The police found the rest of his sandwich, a few emeralds that had fallen into the fibers of the carpet and 78,000 euros. Furthermore, most of the loot has never been found.
A world record since equaled
In 2005, Leonardo Notarbartolo received ten years in prison And 10,000 euros fine. Two of his accomplices were sentenced to 5 years and a fine of 5,000 euros. But in 2009, Leonardo does not respect the conditions of his parole by not reimbursing the victims of the theft. He will be behind bars again in 2013.
Nicknamed “the heist of the century“, these thugs managed to beat the old world record regarding diamond theft. This record would be broken a few years later, during the spectacular Carlton heist
having cost some 103 million euros.
Available from October 13 on Prime Video
LR