Thieves Steal $50 Million Worth Of Diamonds In Daring 11-Minute Airport Heist

Not Ocean’s 14…

1. Eight masked men drove two black vehicles with flashing lights through a security fence and onto the tarmac at Zaventem’s international airport near Brussels late Monday night, according to reports.

General view of the airport in 2011.

Image by FRANCOIS LENOIR / Reuters

2. 20 minutes before a Swiss-bound plane was set to take off — while several parcels of gems were being loaded into the plane’s hold — the robbers grabbed about $50 million worth of diamonds and precious metals.

Two airport police officers use a chain to lock a gate which leads to the airport tarmac Tuesday.

Image by Yves Logghe / AP

3. Authorities said the robbers brandished machine guns, but did not fire a single shot. No one was injured.

Baggage carts make their way past the Helvetic Airways aircraft.

Image by Yves Logghe / AP

4. The robbers spent just three minutes at the plane and then left through the same hole in the fence they came through. The entire operation took 11 minutes, according to airport spokesman Jan Van der Cruysse.

Image by Yves Logghe / AP

5. “They tried to pass themselves off as police officers,” said Anja Bijnens, spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office.

Workers place concrete blocks to block access to a security fence next to the tarmac.

Image by Yves Logghe / AP

6. The heist was totally invisible to the passengers waiting for the plane to take off, Bijnens said.

Image by BRUNO FAHY / Getty Images

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