Armed men stole millions of dollars worth of diamonds that were being loaded on an airplane in Brussels Monday night before it was scheduled to fly to Switzerland and then Israel, according to Belgian media.
The Belgian VRT broadcasting system reported that a burned car, possibly the getaway car, was later found.
The thieves stole 22 pounds of diamonds after breaking through a fence at the Brussels international airport with two vehicles. Initial reports indicated that the loot was worth half a million dollars, but later estimates were far higher, ranging up to $50 million.
The thieves drove up to the Swiss Air plane and then took the diamonds from a Brinks security truck that was loading them on the Zurich-bound plane. They sped away, leaving the airport the same way they entered. VRT added that no shots were fired and no one was injured.