The recent heist of diamonds worth $50 million stolen from the runway of Brussels Airport, certainly comes as a rude shock to the industry, Diamond World reports in Weekly E-Post. The fact that the robbers, eight of them were able to make a hole into the security fence of Brussels' international airport, drive two vehicles onto the tarmac and steal diamonds from the hold of a Swiss-bound plane, in a matter of minutes and flee, is completely unbelievable. Sometimes fact seems stranger than fiction.
The episode has shaken the very activity of transport of diamonds, which is a common everyday affair. Diamond thefts are not unusual, but this scale is not going down easily with the industry. The heist having occurred, gives rise to a number of doubts and unanswered questions so far, especially when AWDC states that Antwerp carries with it a repute of being a highly secured diamond centre. While the matter is yet being investigated, if such a scale of robbery has been possible, what can be said of robberies that occur in retail stores and trade shows?
AWDC states that the stolen diamonds were both polished and rough. AWDC also states that it ‘choose to transport goods via airplane, precisely because of the safe and controlled nature of this means of transportation’. Transport for diamonds is a natural and usual affair. But this security lapse surely calls for strong answers.
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