3. The Antwerp Diamond Heist
Another crime to claim the title “Heist of the Century”, although it’s a different century to the last one. The robbery took place in Antwerp in February 2003 and the robbers, led by Leonardo Notarbartolo, stole $100 million worth of diamonds, making it, at the time, the world’s biggest diamond heist. Notarbartolo had meticulously planned the crime, hiring an office in the diamond center for two and a half years before the robbery, in order to gain both credibility and a 24-hour resident’s access card. Unfortunately, he made a mistake – he left a half-eaten sandwich at the crime scene, and the police were able to trace him using DNA testing. He was jailed for 10 years, but released on parole and has since claimed that someone else paid him to do the robbery.
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