New searches in airport diamond robbery case
Two men were arrested yesterday and further searches carried out in connection with the spectacular diamond robbery that took place at Brussels Airport two years ago
Two men questioned
The robbery took place in February 2013, when eight armed men in police uniforms drove onto the tarmac as a Swiss International Airlines flight was taxiing for take-off to Zurich. The men calmly robbed the plane of its cargo of diamonds – 121 bags worth €37 million – before driving off. The two vehicles used were found burned out at Vilvoorde and Zellik.
Since then police have made more than 30 arrests, including the French national thought to have been the leader of the operation. Twelve men suspected of organising or carrying out the robbery have been identified but no-one arrested remains in custody. The men arrested in the latest development were questioned and then released.
Some of the diamonds have been recovered, but the major part remains missing.
According to a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, Monday’s searches were the result of new information and concentrated on places thought to possibly contain some of the missing diamonds. Some property was seized, the spokesperson said, without giving further details.
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