Brussels Airport Theft: Robbers seize diamonds worth 350mn Euro

Eight armed robbers disguised as police officers and brandishing machine guns have disappeared into thin air with diamonds worth 350 million euro ($467 million) while the gems were being loaded onto a plane at Brussels Airport on Monday evening, media reports say.


Two vehicles carrying four armed men drove up to a security van near the Swiss passenger plane, Reuters said, citing officials. The men were masked.

No shots were fired and nobody was injured. Both vehicles sped off and robbers got onto the tarmac after breaking through the fence that surrounds the airport.

The robbery was carried out with carefully orchestrated plans and a high degree of expertise. The robbers must have been familiar with the terrain well and would have perfected different strategies of escape in case complications arose.

France in Somalia and Mali

A second French soldier has died from gunshot wounds after an attempt to rescue a French agent, Somalia's al Shabaab rebel group said Monday. The spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters that the group will display the bodies of the dead men.

French forces went into southern Somalia by helicopter on Saturday to try to free Denis Allex, held hostage since 2009. French President Francois Hollande said on Saturday the operation had failed despite the “sacrifice” of two soldiers. Musab claimed Allex was alive and his fate would be decided later.

David Cameron has reiterated that the United Kingdom will not drop boots on the ground in Mali. The UK has provided two C17 transport planes to aid the French effort. One is expected to leave France for Mali on Monday after having flown from the UK on Sunday. The aircraft is reported to have developed some mechanical faults.

The two missions have been surprises to France. Al Shabab proved to be very daring and dangerous. The fighting spirit, training, weapons and level of sophistication of the Ansar dine rebels in Mali is also alarming to France. France promised to leave Mali within weeks. The fear in West Africa should be the resultant effect it will have on insurgency in the region has Nigeria still battles Boko Haram.