$28 Million Stolen From Antwerp Bank - Apr.2007

A man stole $28 million worth of diamonds from an Antwerp bank where he had been a trusted customer for a year using a stolen Argentine passport, according to reports.

The suspect, who used the name Carlos Hector Flomenbaum from Argentina, was said to have broken into the safety deposit boxes of an ABM Amro bank, making off with diamonds weighing 120,000 carats. Police believe he may have carefully planned the robbery, winning the trust of local officials so he could make his way into the carefully guarded vault area

The diamonds include a 133.20 carat long-shape rough diamond, 41 blue round brilliant cut diamonds weighing 13 carats, an important lot of pink and yellow rough diamonds, and two natural green pear shape diamonds of 5.42 carats and 3.61 carats.

Authorities now believe that the man was using a false identity because a passport in that name was stolen in Israel a few years ago.

Police released a composite photo of a gray-haired man, 6 feet 3 inches tall and aged between 55 and 60. They said he speaks English with an American accent and often wears a baseball cap. There is $2 million reward for his capture.  v