OT: Real Life Ocean's 11 Style Diamond Heist
Thought this was pretty interesting. A group of robbers dressed as police officers snuck onto an airport tarmac in Brussels and stole $50m worth of diamonds. The way they did the whole thing reads like a plot to the next installement of the Ocean's series.
http://gma.yahoo.com/diamond-heist-nets-50m-worth-gems-155135405--abc-n…
February 20th, 2013 at 8:33 AM ^
Sounds like it's out of a movie, however Ocean's Eleven was more crafty. These guys had sub-machine guns. I'd liken that more to the Joker in The Dark Knight.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:08 AM ^
February 20th, 2013 at 8:37 AM ^
It also sounds like the Lufthansa heist from the movie Goodfellas...which was based on a true story.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:52 AM ^
"What about security?"
"Ha. You're lookin' at him."
February 20th, 2013 at 10:08 AM ^
This is what I thought of too. The book version, Wiseguy, is really good too.
February 20th, 2013 at 8:44 AM ^
This doesn't shock me at all being a pilot I get to see full hand how bad airport security is. Other countries make it like a prison with high giant walls armed guards etc. Countries like the US and Europe it's so easy to breach an exterior wall because its a chain link fence or just breach TSA or whatever the security is.
February 20th, 2013 at 12:21 PM ^
No politics.
February 20th, 2013 at 8:43 AM ^
February 20th, 2013 at 8:45 AM ^
February 20th, 2013 at 8:46 AM ^
February 20th, 2013 at 8:55 AM ^
February 20th, 2013 at 8:46 AM ^
Impressive heist, but how are you going to unload $50,000,000 worth of diamonds without attracting the attention of the authorities? Unless, of course, the purpose behind stealing them was to install them into a huge satellite laser that will allow some Bond-esque villain to hold the world's nations hostage.
February 20th, 2013 at 8:51 AM ^
And..the villain will detail his plan to Bond while Bond sits in cuffs and gags, seemingly helpless, about to be eaten by the villain's rabid spider monkeys.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:11 AM ^
Oh c'mon, now you're just being ridiculous....
February 20th, 2013 at 9:12 AM ^
Scott Evil: Wait, aren't you even going to watch them? They could get away!
Dr. Evil: No no no, I'm going to leave them alone and not actually witness them dying, I'm just gonna assume it all went to plan. What?
Scott Evil: I have a gun, in my room, you give me five seconds, I'll get it, I'll come back down here, BOOM, I'll blow their brains out!
Dr. Evil: Scott, you just don't get it, do ya? You don't.
February 20th, 2013 at 1:36 PM ^
There is an old SNL skit where a bunch of Bond villians are all on a talk show and one of them has written a book called "Just Shoot Him." (Myers might have been in the skit.)
February 20th, 2013 at 8:57 AM ^
February 20th, 2013 at 9:25 AM ^
so they were forced to utilize mutated sea bass. On the upside, they were ill tempered
February 20th, 2013 at 9:18 AM ^
If the thieves didn't plan for how to unload the diamonds before going through all the trouble to steal them..... then the authorities need to look in East Lansing for the "mastermind".
February 20th, 2013 at 10:03 AM ^
Could be a long term strategy. Divide them up, a few million a piece. Everybody goes their separate ways and sells them one or two at a time to jewlelers and pawn dealers in random towns. Never going to be sitting in the lap of luxury, but never work again or hurt for money either. And you can live 100% off the grid. Cash.
February 20th, 2013 at 2:36 PM ^
You seem like you've thought this through. In a completely unrelated matter, I may have a business deal to discuss with you. We will need a fleet of mini coopers and a team of savants with highly specialized skill sets.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:34 AM ^
Who has two thumbs and $50 million dollars? This guy...
Suck it, bitches. See you on the other side.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:40 AM ^
Diamonds aren't really worth shit. Their perceived value is mostly a marketing ploy by the diamond cartel to make every little girl believe that a diamond is the ultimate sign of love (or some such BS like that). Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if DeBeers didn't organise the entire heist themselves as a stunt to keep the hoi polloi believing that diamonds are super-valuable.
A gold heist, on the other hand, would be a far more interesting story.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:42 AM ^
Congratulations, you are now #1 on the Illuminati's Most Wanted list.
February 20th, 2013 at 1:03 PM ^
...but certainly the gentlemen behind the unveiling of the north sea scrolls are number one on the Iluminati's hit list.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:56 AM ^
who had to google hoi polloi?
For the folks who are as western and underlearned as me: it is Greek for "the majority."
Context clues confirm the hypothesis and result.
February 20th, 2013 at 12:41 PM ^
Thanks. Hoi polloi was in Sunday's News & Observer crossword and I had no idea what it was. I'm going to fill that in as soon as I get home.
February 20th, 2013 at 3:39 PM ^
Go to YouTube and search "Hoi Polloi." The result will be much more entertaining.
February 20th, 2013 at 5:40 PM ^
Historians and academics love to use obscure or lightly-used words.
February 20th, 2013 at 11:39 AM ^
Actually, diamonds don't really depreciate in value. You're talking about the over-inflated retail price, which is kept artificially high by DeBeers' monopoly on gems mined in South Africa. Prices have come down quite a bit since Russian diamonds started flooding the market, but they tend to be on the lower end (smaller size, less clarity). Since there are objective criteria in measuring the value of a stone, the prices set according to them remain fairly constant. $50M retail probably translates to about $5-10M wholesale value, which probably gets watered down further, depending on avenues of resale.
Another advantage of stealing diamonds over gold is easy concealment and storage. $50M worth of gold weighs almost a ton.
February 20th, 2013 at 2:00 PM ^
February 20th, 2013 at 5:35 PM ^
Because that would mean he is a ghost.
February 20th, 2013 at 10:18 AM ^
MGoBlog Bylaw 24(c)(iv) clearly states that multimillion dollar diamond heists are on-topic except during the weeks before the ND, MSU, and OSU football games.
February 20th, 2013 at 12:20 PM ^
That Heiko stole those diamonds to continue to try and woooo Al Borges
February 20th, 2013 at 1:04 PM ^
In most instances I celebrate earned wealth and extravagance and the fact that we have a 1% or whatever. I am happy for them and admire those especially who have earned a fortune through their wits and hard work. However, the whole diamond trade is dirty and driven by stupid greed and vanity. The value is all perception except of course in industrial applications. And although these thieves are criminals I cheer their chutzpah and care not one bit for those who were robbed.
February 20th, 2013 at 9:37 PM ^