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THE DIAMOND THEFT OF THE CENTURY How 100 million euros were stolen from the Antwerp Diamond Center Valentine's weekend 2003. After two years of preparation, Leonardo Notarbartolo and his criminal friends from the School of Turin managed to crack the vault room of the super-secure Diamond Center in Antwerp. The gang made off with a hundred million euros worth of diamonds, jewelry and cash. It was the largest and most successful robbery in history! But the ingenious burglary was not entirely perfect. The gang carelessly dumped several garbage bags with evidence in a forest along the E19 in Vilvoorde. This carelessness allowed the authorities to identify the perpetrators. Gang leader Notarbartolo was sentenced to ten years in prison and a fine of one million euros. Three accomplices were sentenced to five years in prison. The record loot is still missing. The heist of the century.' THE WASHINGTON POST Diamond heist according to Hollywood script.' DE STANDAARD The robbery was ingenious in its simplicity.' BBC NEWS JEAN-CHARLES VERWAEST (1966) is a lawyer and works as a journalist for De Standaard, Het Nieuwsblad and Het Volk. He reports on the Antwerp diamond sector. Verwaest is the author of De Justitiegids, a practical reference work on the Belgian judiciary.