Bank sewage burglars in Belgian city’s famous diamond district left gold bars strewn across vault floor during escape
- Man, 27, held over Antwerp bank raid as details emerge of thieves making off hastily after alarm sounded
- Robbery had all the hallmarks of a classic Hollywood heist movie
Burglars who broke into a bank in Antwerp’s diamond quarter by crawling through tunnels and a sewage pipe left gold bars strewn across the floor of the main vault after apparently being disturbed during the raid.
They also left behind vital clues including a mattress, extension cables, pneumatic hammers and a grinding wheel that has been traced through its serial number to a shop in the Netherlands.
The men are believed to have been disturbed by the building’s alarm but escaped while the police waited for employees to open the secure door to the vault.
Once inside, the officers were unable to enter the escape tunnel until breathing equipment was brought in.
The public prosecutor has confirmed that a 27-year-old man, who was born in Georgia but has Belgian nationality, was arrested on Tuesday and is due to appear before judges on Friday in relation to the burglary of the BNP Paribas Fortis branch on Sunday.
Sahil Malik, the lawyer for the suspect, declined to comment apart from saying: “We will do our story Friday in front of the council chamber”.