2003 Antwerp Diamond Heist

In 2003, Leonardo Notarbartolo executed the most remarkable diamond heist in history, stealing nearly $100 million worth of uncut diamonds from the Antwerp Diamond Center, one of the most secure locations on Earth. Notarbartolo's audacious plan involved years of preparation, including renting an office in the building and storing his own property in the vault to gain access. During the heist, he and his team used a series of ingenious tactics, such as disabling alarms, covering security cameras, and even fooling thermal-motion sensors with hairspray.

Their meticulous preparation paid off as they emptied numerous boxes of gold and diamonds from the vault. This audacious heist involved detailed surveillance, covert photography, and replicating the vault layout. However, Notarbartolo and three accomplices were eventually arrested, and a stack of circumstantial evidence was found, but the diamonds were never recovered. Stolen diamonds are notoriously difficult to trace, making it challenging to prove their ownership conclusively.