Netflix's Inside Story of Failed $500m Diamond Heist
March 20, 25
(IDEX Online) - A new Netflix documentary, called The Diamond Heist and co-executive produced by Guy Ritchie, tells the inside story of what was very nearly the world's biggest ever diamond heist.
The three-part documentary follows a crime gang's plan to bulldoze London's brand new Millennium Dome in broad daylight and steal the world's second biggest flawless diamond - the 203.04-carat D color Millennium Star - and escape by speedboat down the River Thames.
They were targeting the De Beers Millennium Jewels Collection, which also included 11 blue diamonds, and was valued at the time, in November 2000, at over $500m.
(Spoiler alert) They came within inches of success. The gang had weakened the armored glass protecting the diamonds, using a nail gun and sledgehammers. And then the police swooped.
They'd had the inside track on the planned raid and had been following the men. They'd replaced the gems with replicas, and they had over 200 officers hiding in a service tunnel.
The three-part series includes an interview with convicted robber Lee Wenham, one of the criminals involved in audacious plan (and who was sentenced to four years for conspiracy to steal), as well as the law enforcement officers who were involved in the investigation.
The Diamond Heist is available from 16 April.
Screengrab shows reconstruction of gang breaking through glass to snatch $500m of diamonds.