by Jesús Zabala - 5 min read

Biggest Jewelry Heist

Jewelry is one of the most common targets for burglars. We constantly hear that jewelry is stolen from homes, safes, and jewelry stores, but nothing compares with the biggest jewelry heist of all time.

Throughout history, there have been many grab-and-run thefts, but only a few have made the list as grand heists. Let's see how the famous burglars passed through security and managed to take millions of dollars worth of jewelry within minutes.

Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: MargJohnsonVA

What Are the Biggest Jewelry Heist?

Jewelry theft is one of the most common crimes committed around the world. From beautiful blings worth only a couple of thousand dollars to a bunch of high-end jewelry worth millions, jewelry thieves target them all.

Yet, among all the captivating stories presented by the media and movies based on true stories, only a few cases are worth mentioning because of their unique approach and the value of the stolen treasures. The following can be categorized as the biggest jewelry heists of all time:

The Carlton Hotel Heist
The Antwerp Diamond Heist.
The Hatton Garden Heist

1. The Carlton Hotel Heist

Date

28 July 2013

Location

Carlton Intercontinental Hotel, Cannes, French Riviera

Value of stolen jewelry

$136 million

Type of jewelry stolen

Gold, diamond, rubies, and watches

Recovered jewelry

None

The Carlton Hotel Heist is considered the biggest jewelry heist in terms of the value of the stolen goods. The armed robbery happened on 28 July 2013 at the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel in Cannes.

An armed man wearing a baseball cap and a scarf stole various types of jewelry. Unfortunately, he was never caught, and the jewelry was never restored. A reward of $1.3 million was offered to anyone who would give a lead about the case, but it was unsuccessful. The key suspect in the Carlton Hotel Heist was Milan Poparic, a member of the Pink Panthers, but he was never convicted.

The valuables, worth approximately $136 million, were taken from the hotel’s private salon and included watches, rubies, diamonds, and gold. The jewels, temporarily displayed for an exhibit, belonged to the Leviev diamond house owned by the Israeli billionaire Lev Avnerovich Leviev.

The heist lasted roughly 30 seconds, and the thief managed to steal a sack with 72 jewels, including:

A 55-carat diamond ring
A 30-carat emerald
A 29-carat sapphire

One of the reasons why the biggest jewelry heist in the world went so smoothly was that the jewels were poorly guarded. It was reported that the guards on duty had no weapons.

Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: MisterStock

2. The Antwerp Diamond Heist

Date

15-16 February 2003

Location

Antwerp, Belgium

Value of stolen jewelry

$100 million

Type of jewelry stolen

Diamonds, gold, silver, and other

Recovered jewelry

None

The Antwerp Diamond Heist, also known as the “heist of the century”, is considered to be the biggest diamond robbery in mankind's history. It took place during the weekend of February 15th and 16th, 2003. The jewelry was stolen from the Antwerp diamond district in Belgium, which was considered one of the best concentrations of wealth globally.

A group of thieves carried out the heist, which they had been preparing for around 18 months. Leonardo Notarbartolo was the mastermind behind the operation. To bypass the multiple security systems, he rented a furnished office in the diamond center. His ID card as a tenant allowed him to enter the building for 24 hours, where he was recognized as an Italian diamond merchant.

Before the heist, the burglars observed the guards and used camera pens to take pictures of the center. Later, they used the pictures to create a full-scale replica and practice.

One of the most interesting details about the heist is that they used common household items to disable the security systems. For instance, Notarbartolo used hairspray to disable the thermal-motion sensors one day before the robbery.

The thieves spent four to five hours inside the center while Notarbartolo was in the getaway vehicle watching out for police. During the heist, burglars stole diamonds, gems, and cash worth $100 million from over 100 safe deposit boxes.

Only Notarbartolo was caught for the robbery and served 10 years in prison. The identities of the accomplices in the biggest jewelry heist in history remain unknown, as do the whereabouts of the jewelry they all stole.

Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: gualtiero boffi

3. The Hatton Garden Heist

Date

April 2015

Location

Safe deposit in Hatton Garden London

Value of stolen jewelry

Valued at £14 million (approximately $18.26 million) in 2015

Type of jewelry stolen

Pearls and gemstones

Recovered jewelry

One third

In April 2015, six experienced thieves conducted the famous Hatton Garden Heist during the extended Easter weekend. What’s most interesting about this heist is that although the Hatton Garden safe deposit was closed on the day of the robbery, the police found no signs of forced entry. At least not by using traditional methods for entry.

To get into the safe deposit, the elderly men used an industrial power drill to make a hole in the vault walls. According to the video evidence, the heist began on 2nd April, and yet the public was first informed about it on 7th April. The investigation was led by the Flying Squad which is a specialized branch within the Police Service in London.

The six jewelry thieves involved in the burglary were arrested and sentenced to prison. Four of the elderly men, John Collins, Terry Perkins, Daniel Jones, and William Lincoln, were found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison. Carl Wood, on the other hand, received six years, while Hugh Doyle received the lowest sentence of 21 months in jail.

Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: Tupungato

Biggest International Jewel Thieves Network

When the topic of jewelry heists arises, the Pink Panthers can’t be overlooked. They are renowned as a jewel thief network believed to be responsible for more than 300 robberies worldwide.

The Pink Panthers are the biggest jewel thieves network in the world. According to the latest data shared from OCCRP, the group has stolen around $378 million worth of jewelry.

The Pink Panthers was founded by Dragan Mikic in 1999. They are active to this day and have around 800 members, mostly Serbians and Montenegrins, with military and paramilitary backgrounds. The organized crime group became well-known to the public after stealing a £500,000 (approximately $651,800) diamond from a jeweler in London in 2003.

The gang generally steals diamonds and jewels and typically carries firearms during its raids. The authorities believe that they have allies in different countries, allowing them to operate worldwide. Some of their most famous heists were conducted in the US, UK, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Switzerland, and France.

Conclusion

The three biggest jewelry heist in the world are the Carlton Hotel Heist, the Antwerp Diamond Heist, and the Hatton Garden Heist. Each has its unique approach, but they all have in common that the stolen items were either not recovered at all or to some extent. One thing is sure – the thieves have made a life-long fortune out of the heists, regardless of the fact that some spend part of their lives in prison.