Editor’s Note
This report details recent law enforcement activity in Antwerp’s diamond district, conducted at the request of Swiss authorities. The local diamond industry’s umbrella organization has stated it is not a subject of the investigation.
Several raids were carried out on Thursday in the area around Antwerp-Central station, close to the diamond district, at the request of the Swiss judiciary. They targeted residences and jewelry stores. The umbrella organization Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) stated on Friday that the sector is not involved in the ongoing investigation.
The raids were conducted by the federal judicial police of Antwerp, in collaboration with the local police zone, as part of an investigation led by the Swiss judiciary. Five jewelry stores and three residences were searched. The managers of the raided jewelry stores are to be questioned.
According to the Gazet van Antwerpen, these investigations are linked to the theft of jewelry worth several million euros at Geneva airport in 2024. Three men, in a car registered in Belgium, had robbed a taxi and fled with two suitcases filled with watches and jewelry. No suspects have been arrested yet.