Multi-Million Dollar Diamond Robbery at Schiphol Airport

Diamonds and jewelry worth an estimated $100 million were stolen Friday morning while on the tarmac at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport about to be loaded to a KLM plane en route to Brussels.

"A KLM Cargo armored car containing valuable goods was hijacked on the cargo ramp at Schiphol this morning," the Dutch airline said. The British press claims the value of goods is £52 million ($100 million / 75 million euros).

At about 10 am the robbers, dressed as KLM workers, threatened the armored vehicle guards as the goods were about to be loaded onto the plane. They seized the armored vehicle with its precious contents and escaped, leaving many witnesses behind them.

The vehicle was later found abounded in a nearby town.

According to industry reports, the goods were collected at the airport from several international locations with their final destination being Antwerp.

A team of 25 police officers has been assigned to the case. A security expert told IDEX Online that the thieves must have had inside help from someone who knew that such a valuable shipment was there.