Diamond Heist at Brussels Airport

Four armed thieves robbed a Federal Express office at Brussels Zaventem Airport on Thursday night, making off with a reported 'significant' amount of diamond jewelry. According to an industry security expert, the robbers probably had inside information.

The Federal Express office at Brucargo at the Zaventem Airport was stormed by the four at about 9 p.m. on Thursday night. According to local press, the four threatened workers, but did not cause any injuries during the heist or while escaping.

Despite a police search, no arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.

It is unclear if the thieves stole diamonds, diamond jewelry or both. Reports say a suspected large amount of diamonds and jewelry interchangeably. Police at this point are not commenting on the value or exact contents of the stolen goods.

One diamond security expert said that the thieves were likely helped with inside information. "All of Federal Express' shipments are packaged in identical boxes," he said. "If the robbery was from a shipment center, with thousands of packages, they had to know which boxes to take."

The Brussels airport was notorious for its security problems. In 2001 a dozen airlines and several shipping companies refused to use the airport until security was improved. An audit in July of that year concluded that additional measures were advisable, considering the high volume of valuables handled at the airport.

Following the audit, the Belgian government and airport authorities, decided to adopt 47 additional security measures, including an increased number of police patrols. The airport also promised to invest €1.5 million in additional security that year.