Four arrested over ‘biggest heist ever’ in diamond capital

AUTHORITIES in Belgium arrested three Italians and a Dutchwoman in connection with the plundering of 123 maximum-security vaults, likely the biggest heist ever in the diamond-cutting capital of the world, police said yesterday.

The four were arrested over the weekend in connection with the heist, estimated to be worth many millions of euro, and were put in solitary confinement until a court decides on their continued detention tomorrow, said Leen Nuyts, a magistrate at the prosecutor’s office in this port city.

She said they were arrested based on “developments in the ongoing investigation”, but declined to give more information. Despite the arrests, none of the stones have been recovered.