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Over a February weekend in 2003, thieves breached the Antwerp Diamond Centre vault and forced open 109 deposit boxes. The reported loss exceeded $100 million. Discarded rubbish supplied DNA and documentary leads that helped police identify the crew.
More than two years of legitimate access helped prepare the burglary. Later accounts describe rehearsals and improvised alarm bypasses, though some methods remain uncertain.
189
Safe deposit boxes in the vault. Accounts commonly report that 109 of the 189 boxes were forced open; the property included diamonds, other valuables and cash.
10
Cameras, light sensors, infrared, magnetic, Doppler radar, seismic, combination lock, vault key, window alarms, guards.
5 Days
DNA from a sandwich led police to the mastermind.
$0
Some stones were recovered during the investigation, but the bulk of the haul remains missing. The headline valuation is an estimate, rather than a complete recovered inventory.
The Evidence
Ten Layers Defeated
The vault had overlapping locks, sensors and surveillance. Later accounts describe improvised bypasses, but some methods remain unknown; the precise crawling scenes and sequence of ten defeats are not established by the alarm's silence.
The Haul
Accounts commonly report 109 broken boxes and a loss exceeding $100 million in diamonds and other valuables. Guinness records the theft as the largest diamond heist. The bulk of the property remains missing.
The Sandwich
The crew's logistics man dumped garbage bags in a forest near the E19 motorway instead of destroying them. A local shopkeeper found the bags, which contained Diamond Centre envelopes, tools, a videotape — and a half-eaten salami sandwich. The DNA matched mastermind Leonardo Notarbartolo.
The Heist of the Century
The Infiltration
Leonardo Notarbartolo rents an office in the Antwerp Diamond Centre for $700/month, posing as an Italian gem importer. He installs hidden cameras and spends 28 months studying the vault's ten security layers from the inside.
The Heist
Over Valentine's Day weekend, the crew breaches the vault and forces open 109 boxes. The precise access route differs between reconstructions; the reported loss exceeds $100 million.
The Mistake
Garbage bags containing evidence — including a DNA-laden sandwich — are dumped in a forest instead of being destroyed. A local shopkeeper finds them and calls the police. Notarbartolo is arrested within five days.
The Verdict
Notarbartolo sentenced to 10 years. Three accomplices receive 5 years each. The "King of Keys" — the man who forged the vault key — is never identified or caught. Over $100 million remains unrecovered.
The Documentary
Netflix releases the documentary film Stolen: Heist of the Century on August 8. Interviews compare participant recollections with investigators' accounts.
Key Figures
Leonardo Notarbartolo
A thief based in Turin whose office tenancy gave him repeated access to the Diamond Centre. He was convicted of organising the burglary and sentenced to ten years.
The King of Keys
An unidentified accomplice appears in accounts as "the King of Keys." Claims about a duplicate key are part of the reconstructed operation; the original key was also reportedly found near the vault.
Every Lock Is a Puzzle
A heavily protected vault was breached, but the rubbish left outside Antwerp helped investigators connect people with the crime.
Twenty-eight months of preparation. A replica vault. Ten defeated security layers. And a sandwich that should have been burned.
Get the Full Book
Follow the preparation, disputed operational accounts, discarded evidence and prosecutions behind the Antwerp Diamond Centre burglary.