SURAT: Armed gunmen robbed diamonds worth close to Rs 300 crore from a Zurich-bound plane that had landed at Brussels airport on Monday.
Industry sources said that gunmen targeted Brink Security Agency's delivery staff that was unloading the safes full of diamonds on to the plane at 8 pm on Monday.
Dinesh Navadia, president, Surat Diamond Association (SDA) told TOI, "Information gathered from our office in Antwerp suggest that the robbers have escaped with $50 million worth of diamonds in the safes of Brink's security. The diamonds were to be delivered at Zurich and most of it belonged to Indian diamantaires in Antwerp."
"We are yet to get any confirmation from Antwerp as to how much these diamantaires have lost in the robbery," added Navadia.
A DTC sightholder from Antwerp asking anonymity told TOI, "It is still unclear as to who have lost their diamonds in the heist. But, the security agency provides insurance for the diamonds in transit and the diamantiares need not have to worry. But, there is a serious question on the safety of the diamond parcels in Beligum after the Brussels airport diamond heist."
In the global diamond business, Antwerp plays a role that is similar to that of New York in international banking and finance. Thanks to the Indians, especially Gujarati diamantaires, who control up to 80 per cent of Antwerp's $45 billion worth of annual diamond trade, a figure that was associated with the Jews only two decades ago.
However, the dominance of Gujarati diamanaires in Antwerp's diamond business seems to have shifted the attention of international mafia in the UK. In the past two years, two sensational diamond heists, targeting Gujarati diamantaires from leading DTC sightholder companies have been reported where diamonds worth over Rs 200 crore were robbed off by an organized gang members.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Diamond-heist-at-Brussels-airport/articleshow/18585292.cms
Industry sources said that gunmen targeted Brink Security Agency's delivery staff that was unloading the safes full of diamonds on to the plane at 8 pm on Monday.
Dinesh Navadia, president, Surat Diamond Association (SDA) told TOI, "Information gathered from our office in Antwerp suggest that the robbers have escaped with $50 million worth of diamonds in the safes of Brink's security. The diamonds were to be delivered at Zurich and most of it belonged to Indian diamantaires in Antwerp."
"We are yet to get any confirmation from Antwerp as to how much these diamantaires have lost in the robbery," added Navadia.
A DTC sightholder from Antwerp asking anonymity told TOI, "It is still unclear as to who have lost their diamonds in the heist. But, the security agency provides insurance for the diamonds in transit and the diamantiares need not have to worry. But, there is a serious question on the safety of the diamond parcels in Beligum after the Brussels airport diamond heist."
In the global diamond business, Antwerp plays a role that is similar to that of New York in international banking and finance. Thanks to the Indians, especially Gujarati diamantaires, who control up to 80 per cent of Antwerp's $45 billion worth of annual diamond trade, a figure that was associated with the Jews only two decades ago.
However, the dominance of Gujarati diamanaires in Antwerp's diamond business seems to have shifted the attention of international mafia in the UK. In the past two years, two sensational diamond heists, targeting Gujarati diamantaires from leading DTC sightholder companies have been reported where diamonds worth over Rs 200 crore were robbed off by an organized gang members.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Diamond-heist-at-Brussels-airport/articleshow/18585292.cms
No comments:
Post a Comment