Armed robbery at Brussels Airport

[EBBU]

Darjeeling,

please refrain from comments that might be offensive to people that are doing their job.

thank you for your understanding.

[luchtzak]

A safe containing 10 kilograms of diamonds was stolen from an armoured truck of Brinks.

If this information is correct it would be one of the most expensive heists of the century, maybe even the most expensive one in Belgium. 10kg's of diamand is about 50.000 carats with an average price of 7.500 EUR per carat (if the diamonds where good quality) gives this a value of 375 million EUR. It will be probably significant less but still...

Estimated 50.000.000 USD according to latest news on the radio.

[Bralo20]

English language media are reporting 350.000.000 EUR worth of diamonds but I don't know where they got their information from. Belgian media seem to be on par with each other and are indeed reporting a value of 50.000.000 USD and I guess this should be right since it were rough, uncut diamonds which are less valuable then cut diamonds.

I think this makes it -unfortunately- the biggest heist in the history of Brussels Airport but not the biggest heist in Belgium, afaik that one happened in 2003 in Antwerp when according to official numbers 100 million EUR of diamonds where stolen (but where generally is expected that the unofficial number was much higher).

[Passenger]

English language media are reporting 350.000.000 EUR worth of diamonds but I don't know where they got their information from. Belgian media seem to be on par with each other and are indeed reporting a value of 50.000.000 USD and I guess this should be right since it were rough, uncut diamonds which are less valuable then cut diamonds.

I think this makes it -unfortunately- the biggest heist in the history of Brussels Airport but not the biggest heist in Belgium, afaik that one happened in 2003 in Antwerp when according to official numbers 100 million EUR of diamonds where stolen (but where generally is expected that the unofficial number was much higher).

A spokeswoman from the Antwerp Diamond Board said on VRT Radio that the total gross value of the transport was indeed some 50 mio USD, but she also said that not everything was stolen. Could be that "only" 1/4 or half or 3/4 has been stolen. But then, she said, it was mostly rough diamond, making it almost impossible to trace. The Belgian police has organized a press conference at 11h.

[luchtzak]

Note from the webteam: please discuss in a constructive way ==> play the ball, not the man.

[cnc]

if people can rob a bank its obvious they can rob an aircraft. i don't see why you people should attack BRU and its security for that.
normally the aircraft should have been guarded by armed police vehicles, snipers and guards. they do it for much less valuable MS cargo

[Passenger]

if people can rob a bank its obvious they can rob an aircraft. i don't see why you people should attack BRU and its security for that.
normally the aircraft should have been guarded by armed police vehicles, snipers and guards. they do it for much less valuable MS cargo

Indeed, that's what I thaught also. Armed police is billed at some 180 Euro/hour. Why was the Brinks truck alone? Or was there a police escort, but only till the entrance of the airport? We'll know when the first reports from the press conference are online.

[b720]

we must criticize the airport, as many people were asleep this morning!! or did not do their job, or helped the robbers into accessing the airplane. This serious incident occurred at the most secure zone of the airport!! If that gang could approach an aircraft and rob it in day light!! what stops others from planting explosives in a plane? this is a serious security breach!! head will have to roll, first of which the head of security at the airport.. and there must be an overhaul of security in general.

[JAF737]

This is indeed totally crazy. Security at Brussels Airport? Waouh, excellent job. I wonder how they'll now say to passengers they cannot take a small deo in their hand luggage... (while they are allowed by IATA rules, but that's off topic).

Those guys would have been shot down in a minute if it had happened in the US.

[teddybAIR]

If it is true that they simply drove through the fence, than there is no use in blaming the security guards at BRU, is there. In this case it is rather a long term security strategy issue. When you drive along the Haachtsesteenweg and see trees breaching the wire surrounding the airport, one cannot be surprised to read articles like the above once in a while.

I mean, $50m worth of diamonds is a significant carrot to be holding in front of someone's face, isn't it? All I know is that if I would be transporting 50 million, I wouldn't bargain on a few 1000's in terms of security.

Frankly, I couldn't care less about the stolen diamonds. What wories me is the fact that 2 unauthorised vehicles with armed (!) people inside grant themselves access to one of the most dangerous areas in the country that is packed with civilians.

[Bralo20]

Those guys would have been shot down in a minute if it had happened in the US.

Do you really believe so? It's not all better in the US you know... To be honest about it, security in BRU is far more higher compared to several airports in the USA, even airports dozens times bigger then BRU and amongst the biggest in the world.

About 7 years ago I've visited a rather large airport in the USA after being invited to come and look at a certain part of the airport. How I got in? I went to a back entrance, rang a bell, said I had an appointment with person X and was let in. No ID check, no security check, nothing... My contact picked me up and we went through the whole airport in areas where "regular" people never should come. 4 years ago I visited another airport (one of the largest in the USA) and the same thing happened. This time I even went through the entrance where a police post was located, rang the bell, an officer opened the door, I introduced myself, again no ID nor security check and I was let in, I wasn't even accompanied to where I needed to be, I was just given directions and was allowed to walk through. I was standing airside in minutes after walking through the gate. Again I was shown parts of the airport where normal people never will get. I admit the visits took place in a certain context (It wasn't that I showed up out of the blue) but still not a single check was done... 2 years ago, another airport in the USA (this time not a passenger airport but partly military/cargo/storage/maintenance) we just showed up at a certain part of the airport, rang a bell, introduced ourselfs and were let into the facilities to have a look... This time without advance notice nor having any contact to arrange a visit...

Visit to BRU (which I've done also several times but for business purposes): fax an ID card in advance, have probably done a security check, get issued a pass, get screened at entering the airport (both ID and security check)... Quite the difference... And yes, both in BRU as the airports in the USA I was granted the same access, it was not that I had less access in the USA, quite the contrary actually.

So, honestly? BRU isn't to bad, you would be surprised to see how other airports work... It's not because the TSA is harrasing people in the USA and people are complaining all the time that they have the most thight security

[Bralo20]

What I don't get is that according some media from Israël that the diamonds where bound for Tel Aviv, if this was the case why haven't they shipped it on an EL AL flight? More thight security then on an EL AL flight isn't available, those planes are even guided to the runway with an escort...

[Boavida]

'Brussels' is now a worldwide trending topic on Twitter and the robbery is all over the (international) news. Again great publicity for BRU...

[b720]

the obvious is the following: a serious security breach! The robbers knew which airplane to rob, where it it was parked, and the exact moment the truck was loading the valuable cargo.. they knew how long it will take them to drive from the breached fence to that plane, and back.. either an insiders job (or help), or the robbers have been surveilling the situation (UNDETECTED for weeks or months!!) I am not sure which scenario is worse.
As for the diamonds, they do belong to people after all.. and those people will be compensated by insurance companies, that are all connected through insurance and re-insurance.. that means premies to insuring our cars, homes etc will increase!! The more insurance companies cough up the more they need to collect!! they are not charities. The security people at BRU are responsible! This kind of breach should be IMPOSSIBLE.

[BrightCedars]

After the story of the 12 yo who made it all the way to Malaga, I think some heads need to roll at BRU.

[andorra-airport]

It will be interesting to find out what the insurance company thinks about all this. They will not pay back that amount of money so easily. What were the conditions? Were they all met? Was just 1 security transport truck enough?

[b720]

they will pay! and very fast, as all those goods were sealed by the diamond office (customs) value checked and approved by the Belgian customs before being exported.

[Bralo20]

The press conference didn't bring much new things to light:

- 2 cars drove onto the tarmac through the fence (cars were equiped with blue lights)
- 4 armed robbers per car
- Armed robbers where wearing uniforms similar to police uniforms
- Security personnel, pilot, co-pilot, red cap held at gun point during robbery
- 120 packages full of diamonds were taken
- Estimated value yet unknown
- 1 of the cars was found burning moments later
- Big police alert issued after the robbery, investigation ongoing

[AirOpinion]

@Bralo20: It is not allowed to transport valuables (VAL) on all carriers, most carriers don't allow them for... security reasons!

[sn26567]

Brussels Airport on Facebook:

"Just so you know: Brussels Airport meets the stringent national and international security standards set by national and EU authorities. Compliance is monitored on a regular basis. But this obviously was an armed robbery by a professional gang. Brussels Airport is giving its full cooperation in the investigation but you will understand that we can give no comment pending its outcome."