Editor’s Note
This article recounts the notorious 2003 Antwerp diamond heist, one of the largest and most sophisticated burglaries in history. The thieves bypassed multiple layers of security without forced entry, making off with an estimated €100 million in valuables. The following details explore the planning, execution, and the elusive mastermind behind the audacious crime.
On February 15, 2003, a gang entered an ultra-secure, empty building in Antwerp’s diamond district (Belgium) without forced entry. They looted the safe deposit room and left with 100 million euros in loot.
Nicknamed the “Italian Lupin,” the Sicilian Leonardo Notarbartolo was the mastermind behind this heist, from which only 73,000 euros were recovered.
On that Monday, February 17, 2003, immaculate snow covered the sidewalks of Antwerp. It was barely 7 a.m. when one of the seven guards in the famous diamond district began his shift. His steps crunched the white blanket with a slight crackle.
He was alone in this still-sleeping enclave of about 2 km², between three pedestrian streets, where more than 1,500 specialized companies are concentrated. Because 80% of the world’s rough diamonds and 50% of the world’s cut diamonds pass through Rijfstraat, Hoveniersstraat, and Schupstraat, the streets that delineate this “golden triangle.”