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Arrests over $50m Belgium airport diamond heist | Arrests over $50m Belgium airport diamond heist |
(35 minutes later) | |
Police in Belgium, Switzerland and France have arrested 31 people in connection with one of the world's largest robberies of diamonds. | Police in Belgium, Switzerland and France have arrested 31 people in connection with one of the world's largest robberies of diamonds. |
Belgian prosecutors say they have recovered large sums of money and some of the diamonds that were taken in a raid at Brussels airport in February. | Belgian prosecutors say they have recovered large sums of money and some of the diamonds that were taken in a raid at Brussels airport in February. |
A gang cut through the airport's perimeter fence and broke into the cargo hold of a Swiss aeroplane as it waited for take off. | A gang cut through the airport's perimeter fence and broke into the cargo hold of a Swiss aeroplane as it waited for take off. |
They took $50m (£32m) of diamonds. | They took $50m (£32m) of diamonds. |
The diamonds were "rough stones" being transported from Antwerp to Zurich. | The diamonds were "rough stones" being transported from Antwerp to Zurich. |
Prosecutors described the thieves as "professionals". | Prosecutors described the thieves as "professionals". |
They had dressed as police, wore masks and were well armed. | They had dressed as police, wore masks and were well armed. |
They forced their way through security barriers and drove towards the Helvetic Airways plane, forcing open the cargo hold to reach gems that had already been loaded. | |
They snatched 120 packages before escaping through the same hole in the fence. | They snatched 120 packages before escaping through the same hole in the fence. |
Prosecutors said the whole operation took only about five minutes, no shots were fired and no-one was hurt. | Prosecutors said the whole operation took only about five minutes, no shots were fired and no-one was hurt. |
One suspect was arrested in France and six in Switzerland on Tuesday, Belgian prosecutors said. | |
The other 24 were rounded up near Brussels early on Wednesday. |
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