Two Weeks On and No Leads on Amsterdam Heist

Two weeks and many nail bites later, and Dutch authorities have still not caught the thieves or found the goods stolen at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on Friday, March 3, leaving little hope the stolen diamonds will ever be recovered.

The brazen heist took place at around 10 am in the secure area of the airport when an armored truck transporting tens of millions of dollars worth of polished and rough diamonds as well as jewelry was stopped by two men dressed in KLM uniforms. They overcame the guards and drove away, slipping quickly out of the airport.

No shots were fired and the armed guards offered no resistance. The thieves apparently had detailed knowledge of the security measures, timetables and the route the armored vehicle was to use.

It is also understood that the fuel disconnector, a remotely operated security device that cuts off fuel supply to the engine in case the truck is driven away by a thief, was not activated.

The armored truck was abandoned at a nearby industrial area, with the thieves apparently leaving so quickly, they left behind several million dollars worth of goods in sealed packages.

Due to the magnitude of the loss, concern was raised in the market as to the effect of the theft on the companies involved. However, thanks to a quick response on the part of Brinks and Malca-Amit, the two courier companies that shipped the diamonds, the diamond firms received their insurance payments quickly.

According to Hanan Tabacaro, manager of the Brinks branch at the Ramat Gan Diamond Exchange, they paid their clients for the lost goods within 10 business days. Amit Eytan, Vice President of Malca-Amit said the firm paid its clients in five business days – a record time in the diamond industry according to the underwriters, Lloyds of London.