Antwerp Diamond Heist

Notarbartolo establishes access inside the Diamond Center

Using a diamond-business front, Notarbartolo rented office space and a safe-deposit box. His tenant badge and routine visits provided repeated access to the building, its procedures and the underground vault long before the burglary.

Covert surveillance records the vault-opening procedure

A miniature camera concealed near the antechamber reportedly recorded a guard entering the combination and using the long vault key. Police later recovered a torn invoice for low-light surveillance equipment in Notarbartolo's name; the detailed placement and operation come from the later reported reconstruction.

A final legitimate visit prepares the vault sensor

Security footage showed Notarbartolo making a routine vault visit the day before the burglary. In his later account, he said he coated the combined heat-and-motion detector with hairspray to delay its response; that particular act is a reported claim, not an independently published forensic finding.

Crew breaches the underground vault

From shortly after midnight until around dawn on February 16, a crew entered through an adjoining property, neutralized layers of physical and electronic security, opened the vault and forced more than one hundred safe-deposit boxes. The broad route and tampering are supported by the scene and convictions; several precise countermeasures in this sequence derive from later reporting and Notarbartolo's account.

1. Notarbartolo dropped four crew members and their equipment near Pelikaanstraat, then moved to a lookout position with a view toward the Diamond Center.
2. The four entered an adjoining office building, crossed its rear garden and used a concealed ladder to reach a second-floor terrace behind the Diamond Center.
3. A crew member approached the terrace's infrared detector behind an insulating shield, blocked the sensor and disabled the alarm contact on a window so the group could enter.
4. Inside, the crew covered surveillance cameras, descended to the underground antechamber and kept the vault area dark to avoid activating its light detector.
5. They removed the magnetic contacts from the door while keeping the paired plates together, preserving the alarm circuit even though it no longer monitored the door.
6. The crew found the original foot-long vault key in a nearby utility room and used the combination reportedly captured during earlier surveillance to unlock the three-ton door.
7. After opening the outer door, they picked the inner steel grate. Because mobile reception did not reach the vault level, a crew member relayed progress from the stairwell to Notarbartolo outside.
8. Later reconstruction says exposed alarm wires were bridged to bypass the sensor circuit, while the heat/motion detector and light sensor were separately covered. Police confirmed physical tampering, but not every claimed step independently.
9. Using a hand-cranked tool, the crew forced safe-deposit locks one at a time and transferred diamonds, jewelry, precious metals and currency into duffel bags while limiting flashlight use.
10. The crew stopped opening boxes as morning approached. A later reconstruction counted 109 forced boxes; contemporary reports gave different totals, so the exact number remains disputed.
11. They carried the bags back up the stairwell, across the terrace and down the ladder into the adjoining building, taking nearly an hour to move the haul.
12. When the street briefly cleared, the four loaded the bags into Notarbartolo's waiting car and left on foot for the Antwerp apartment while he drove away with the property.

Burglary refuse is abandoned beside the E19

At about 6 p.m. Sunday, Notarbartolo and Tavano left Antwerp with a bag of material intended for destruction. According to the reconstruction, they abandoned it in the Floordambos woodland after Tavano became anxious, leaving papers, videotape, food packaging and small gemstones exposed rather than burning them.

Notarbartolo is arrested after returning to the district

Unaware that the refuse had identified him, Notarbartolo returned to Antwerp to return his rental car and appear at the Diamond Center as usual. Building staff alerted investigators; police detained him and used his directions to locate the nearby apartment as companions were preparing to leave with bags and a rolled carpet.

Search of the Antwerp apartment extends the evidence trail

Investigators searched the apartment used by the group, recovering a time-stamped salami receipt and small emeralds from the carpeting. The receipt led to supermarket video identifying Finotto, while the stones corresponded with gemstones collected from the woodland refuse.

Appeal court sentences four participants

The Antwerp Court of Appeal sentenced Notarbartolo to ten years and imposed a substantial fine. Finotto, D'Onorio and Tavano received five-year terms. The convictions established their participation but did not identify every specialist or recover the bulk of the property.

Notarbartolo is conditionally released

After serving part of the ten-year sentence, Notarbartolo was conditionally released. Belgian authorities later sought his return after he failed to comply with compensation-related conditions.

Notarbartolo is detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport

French authorities detained Notarbartolo during a layover under a European arrest warrant, returning him to Belgian custody to serve the remaining sentence.

Notarbartolo is released after completing the remaining custody

Notarbartolo was released after serving the remaining term. The unidentified specialists had not been publicly resolved and the overwhelming majority of the stolen diamonds, jewelry, cash and precious metals remained unrecovered.

Crew breaches the underground vault

From shortly after midnight until around dawn on February 16, a crew entered through an adjoining property, neutralized layers of physical and electronic security, opened the vault and forced more than one hundred safe-deposit boxes. The broad route and tampering are supported by the scene and convictions; several precise countermeasures in this sequence derive from later reporting and Notarbartolo's account.

1. Notarbartolo dropped four crew members and their equipment near Pelikaanstraat, then moved to a lookout position with a view toward the Diamond Center.
2. The four entered an adjoining office building, crossed its rear garden and used a concealed ladder to reach a second-floor terrace behind the Diamond Center.
3. A crew member approached the terrace's infrared detector behind an insulating shield, blocked the sensor and disabled the alarm contact on a window so the group could enter.
4. Inside, the crew covered surveillance cameras, descended to the underground antechamber and kept the vault area dark to avoid activating its light detector.
5. They removed the magnetic contacts from the door while keeping the paired plates together, preserving the alarm circuit even though it no longer monitored the door.
6. The crew found the original foot-long vault key in a nearby utility room and used the combination reportedly captured during earlier surveillance to unlock the three-ton door.
7. After opening the outer door, they picked the inner steel grate. Because mobile reception did not reach the vault level, a crew member relayed progress from the stairwell to Notarbartolo outside.
8. Later reconstruction says exposed alarm wires were bridged to bypass the sensor circuit, while the heat/motion detector and light sensor were separately covered. Police confirmed physical tampering, but not every claimed step independently.
9. Using a hand-cranked tool, the crew forced safe-deposit locks one at a time and transferred diamonds, jewelry, precious metals and currency into duffel bags while limiting flashlight use.
10. The crew stopped opening boxes as morning approached. A later reconstruction counted 109 forced boxes; contemporary reports gave different totals, so the exact number remains disputed.
11. They carried the bags back up the stairwell, across the terrace and down the ladder into the adjoining building, taking nearly an hour to move the haul.
12. When the street briefly cleared, the four loaded the bags into Notarbartolo's waiting car and left on foot for the Antwerp apartment while he drove away with the property.

Search of the Antwerp apartment extends the evidence trail

Investigators searched the apartment used by the group, recovering a time-stamped salami receipt and small emeralds from the carpeting. The receipt led to supermarket video identifying Finotto, while the stones corresponded with gemstones collected from the woodland refuse.

Appeal court sentences four participants

The Antwerp Court of Appeal sentenced Notarbartolo to ten years and imposed a substantial fine. Finotto, D'Onorio and Tavano received five-year terms. The convictions established their participation but did not identify every specialist or recover the bulk of the property.

Covert surveillance records the vault-opening procedure

A miniature camera concealed near the antechamber reportedly recorded a guard entering the combination and using the long vault key. Police later recovered a torn invoice for low-light surveillance equipment in Notarbartolo's name; the detailed placement and operation come from the later reported reconstruction.

Crew breaches the underground vault

From shortly after midnight until around dawn on February 16, a crew entered through an adjoining property, neutralized layers of physical and electronic security, opened the vault and forced more than one hundred safe-deposit boxes. The broad route and tampering are supported by the scene and convictions; several precise countermeasures in this sequence derive from later reporting and Notarbartolo's account.

1. Notarbartolo dropped four crew members and their equipment near Pelikaanstraat, then moved to a lookout position with a view toward the Diamond Center.
2. The four entered an adjoining office building, crossed its rear garden and used a concealed ladder to reach a second-floor terrace behind the Diamond Center.
3. A crew member approached the terrace's infrared detector behind an insulating shield, blocked the sensor and disabled the alarm contact on a window so the group could enter.
4. Inside, the crew covered surveillance cameras, descended to the underground antechamber and kept the vault area dark to avoid activating its light detector.
5. They removed the magnetic contacts from the door while keeping the paired plates together, preserving the alarm circuit even though it no longer monitored the door.
6. The crew found the original foot-long vault key in a nearby utility room and used the combination reportedly captured during earlier surveillance to unlock the three-ton door.
7. After opening the outer door, they picked the inner steel grate. Because mobile reception did not reach the vault level, a crew member relayed progress from the stairwell to Notarbartolo outside.
8. Later reconstruction says exposed alarm wires were bridged to bypass the sensor circuit, while the heat/motion detector and light sensor were separately covered. Police confirmed physical tampering, but not every claimed step independently.
9. Using a hand-cranked tool, the crew forced safe-deposit locks one at a time and transferred diamonds, jewelry, precious metals and currency into duffel bags while limiting flashlight use.
10. The crew stopped opening boxes as morning approached. A later reconstruction counted 109 forced boxes; contemporary reports gave different totals, so the exact number remains disputed.
11. They carried the bags back up the stairwell, across the terrace and down the ladder into the adjoining building, taking nearly an hour to move the haul.
12. When the street briefly cleared, the four loaded the bags into Notarbartolo's waiting car and left on foot for the Antwerp apartment while he drove away with the property.

Appeal court sentences four participants

The Antwerp Court of Appeal sentenced Notarbartolo to ten years and imposed a substantial fine. Finotto, D'Onorio and Tavano received five-year terms. The convictions established their participation but did not identify every specialist or recover the bulk of the property.

Crew breaches the underground vault

From shortly after midnight until around dawn on February 16, a crew entered through an adjoining property, neutralized layers of physical and electronic security, opened the vault and forced more than one hundred safe-deposit boxes. The broad route and tampering are supported by the scene and convictions; several precise countermeasures in this sequence derive from later reporting and Notarbartolo's account.

1. Notarbartolo dropped four crew members and their equipment near Pelikaanstraat, then moved to a lookout position with a view toward the Diamond Center.
2. The four entered an adjoining office building, crossed its rear garden and used a concealed ladder to reach a second-floor terrace behind the Diamond Center.
3. A crew member approached the terrace's infrared detector behind an insulating shield, blocked the sensor and disabled the alarm contact on a window so the group could enter.
4. Inside, the crew covered surveillance cameras, descended to the underground antechamber and kept the vault area dark to avoid activating its light detector.
5. They removed the magnetic contacts from the door while keeping the paired plates together, preserving the alarm circuit even though it no longer monitored the door.
6. The crew found the original foot-long vault key in a nearby utility room and used the combination reportedly captured during earlier surveillance to unlock the three-ton door.
7. After opening the outer door, they picked the inner steel grate. Because mobile reception did not reach the vault level, a crew member relayed progress from the stairwell to Notarbartolo outside.
8. Later reconstruction says exposed alarm wires were bridged to bypass the sensor circuit, while the heat/motion detector and light sensor were separately covered. Police confirmed physical tampering, but not every claimed step independently.
9. Using a hand-cranked tool, the crew forced safe-deposit locks one at a time and transferred diamonds, jewelry, precious metals and currency into duffel bags while limiting flashlight use.
10. The crew stopped opening boxes as morning approached. A later reconstruction counted 109 forced boxes; contemporary reports gave different totals, so the exact number remains disputed.
11. They carried the bags back up the stairwell, across the terrace and down the ladder into the adjoining building, taking nearly an hour to move the haul.
12. When the street briefly cleared, the four loaded the bags into Notarbartolo's waiting car and left on foot for the Antwerp apartment while he drove away with the property.

Burglary refuse is abandoned beside the E19

At about 6 p.m. Sunday, Notarbartolo and Tavano left Antwerp with a bag of material intended for destruction. According to the reconstruction, they abandoned it in the Floordambos woodland after Tavano became anxious, leaving papers, videotape, food packaging and small gemstones exposed rather than burning them.

Appeal court sentences four participants

The Antwerp Court of Appeal sentenced Notarbartolo to ten years and imposed a substantial fine. Finotto, D'Onorio and Tavano received five-year terms. The convictions established their participation but did not identify every specialist or recover the bulk of the property.

Crew breaches the underground vault

From shortly after midnight until around dawn on February 16, a crew entered through an adjoining property, neutralized layers of physical and electronic security, opened the vault and forced more than one hundred safe-deposit boxes. The broad route and tampering are supported by the scene and convictions; several precise countermeasures in this sequence derive from later reporting and Notarbartolo's account.

1. Notarbartolo dropped four crew members and their equipment near Pelikaanstraat, then moved to a lookout position with a view toward the Diamond Center.
2. The four entered an adjoining office building, crossed its rear garden and used a concealed ladder to reach a second-floor terrace behind the Diamond Center.
3. A crew member approached the terrace's infrared detector behind an insulating shield, blocked the sensor and disabled the alarm contact on a window so the group could enter.
4. Inside, the crew covered surveillance cameras, descended to the underground antechamber and kept the vault area dark to avoid activating its light detector.
5. They removed the magnetic contacts from the door while keeping the paired plates together, preserving the alarm circuit even though it no longer monitored the door.
6. The crew found the original foot-long vault key in a nearby utility room and used the combination reportedly captured during earlier surveillance to unlock the three-ton door.
7. After opening the outer door, they picked the inner steel grate. Because mobile reception did not reach the vault level, a crew member relayed progress from the stairwell to Notarbartolo outside.
8. Later reconstruction says exposed alarm wires were bridged to bypass the sensor circuit, while the heat/motion detector and light sensor were separately covered. Police confirmed physical tampering, but not every claimed step independently.
9. Using a hand-cranked tool, the crew forced safe-deposit locks one at a time and transferred diamonds, jewelry, precious metals and currency into duffel bags while limiting flashlight use.
10. The crew stopped opening boxes as morning approached. A later reconstruction counted 109 forced boxes; contemporary reports gave different totals, so the exact number remains disputed.
11. They carried the bags back up the stairwell, across the terrace and down the ladder into the adjoining building, taking nearly an hour to move the haul.
12. When the street briefly cleared, the four loaded the bags into Notarbartolo's waiting car and left on foot for the Antwerp apartment while he drove away with the property.

Discarded refuse gives police their breakthrough

The same morning, August Van Camp found the refuse on his woodland property and called police after noticing Diamond Center envelopes. Detectives recovered and reconstructed a surveillance-equipment invoice naming Notarbartolo, found D'Onorio's contact material, preserved the salami remains for DNA testing and collected tiny gemstones.

Building staff discover the emptied vault

When the Diamond Center reopened Monday morning, its three-ton vault door stood open and the floor was covered with forced boxes, containers and valuables the burglars had left behind. Alarm monitoring still reported the vault secure, immediately demonstrating that its layered protections had been bypassed.

Building staff discover the emptied vault

When the Diamond Center reopened Monday morning, its three-ton vault door stood open and the floor was covered with forced boxes, containers and valuables the burglars had left behind. Alarm monitoring still reported the vault secure, immediately demonstrating that its layered protections had been bypassed.

Notarbartolo is arrested after returning to the district

Unaware that the refuse had identified him, Notarbartolo returned to Antwerp to return his rental car and appear at the Diamond Center as usual. Building staff alerted investigators; police detained him and used his directions to locate the nearby apartment as companions were preparing to leave with bags and a rolled carpet.