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Brit mum breaks down in tears & issues grovelling apology over £300k Bali coke smuggling plot as she faces death penalty

Brit mum breaks down in tears & issues grovelling apology over £300k Bali coke smuggling plot as she faces death penalty

The Irish Sun15-07-2025
A BRIT mum facing the death penalty for allegedly smuggling £300,000 of cocaine into Bali has said she "won't trust people so easily again".
Lisa Stocker, 39, broke down in tears as she told a court she was
5
Alleged drug smugglers Phineas Float, Jonathan Collyer and Lisa Stocker sit inside the Denpasar district court
Credit: EPA
5
An emotional Ms Stocker said she 'won't trust people so easily again'
Credit: EPA
5
The trio all face the death penalty over an alleged drug smuggling plot
Credit: EPA
Ms Stocker says she had no idea that she was actually transporting 992mg of cocaine inside the 17 packets.
The
They had travelled from the UK through Qatar and were stopped in Bali after a routine x-ray at the airport alerted officials to the
The couple first appeared in court with Phineas Float, 31, also of East Sussex, who is accused of receiving the packages in an airport hotel on February 3.
read more in Brit smuggling
During one of her initial court hearings Ms Stocker admitted: "I was framed."
She claimed a friend gave her the packets of Angel Delight in the UK and asked her to take them to Bali.
Ms Stocker said: "Jon and I had been to Bali twice carrying packages from [him]. I was shocked after finding out it was cocaine."
Today in court she reiterated her feelings as she again said she had no idea that her suitcase was full of narcotics.
Most read in The Sun
She was seen breaking down in tears as she sat in the courtroom in a red and white prison outfit and issued a grovelling apology.
Her husband, Mr Collyer, admitted what they did was "very stupid" as he told Judge Heriyanti: "I won't do it again."
Brit drug mule moans 'I'm depressed' as he faces years in hellhole jail after smuggling 'iPhone' in weight of cocaine
Mr Float remained quiet as he sat in court after being involved in a heated shouting match during a previous hearing.
Back in June, while walking to the courtroom for the first day of his trial he yelled at journalist to "f*** off".
Sentencing for all three is due to take place
next
week.
They could face the death penalty under Indonesian laws.
Although they are more likely to be hit with decades in prison, according to their lawyer Sheiny Pangkahila.
She suggested, if convicted, her clients could each face prison 15 to 20 years.
But now lead prosecutor Made Dipa Umbara has said the trio could actually avoid any serious time altogether.
He announced thy will ask to "sentence the defendants to one years in prison" each, minus the time already served.
5
The mum broke down in tears at her last court hearing in June
Credit: Supplied
5
The three will learn their fate at sentencing next week
Credit: EPA
He noted that all three had behaved well in court, apologised for their role in the smuggling plot and promised not to reoffend.
Meanwhile, across the globe in Georgia,
while pregnant.
The 19-year-old from Billingham, County Durham,
She says she was coerced by a brutal trafficking gang who allegedly burned her with an iron and
Bella claims she was duped into transporting the drugs by the Thailand-based gang – but prosecutors argue
In Sri Lanka,
The 21-year-old former air stewardess from South London, denies the allegations but was reportedly caught with 46kg of the substance packed into her suitcases.
If convicted, she could be handed a 25-year prison sentence in a country known for its tough anti-drug stance.
And a
Police said they were flagged for their 'nervous and evasive attitude' and are now in jail facing serious trafficking charges.
Perhaps most shocking of all –
Why are Brits targeted as drug mules?
GROWING numbers of Brits are being targeted by drug gangs to smuggle their wares around the world, authorities have claimed.
The high profile cases of Brits Bella Culley and Charlotte May Lee - who are being held on drug charges in Georgia and Sri Lanka respectively - have put a spotlight on the issue.
Gangs based in Thailand are reportedly luring potential mules with the promise of big payouts and lavish travel breaks in return for carrying drugs back with them.
Cannabis is decriminalised in Thailand, which has seen it become so cheap there that gangs have sought to export it at vast profit.
One reason cited by authorities for the targeting of Brits specifically is that tourists from the UK have visa free access to Thailand.
British and Thai police launched a joint operation last July that laid bare the scale of the gang recruitment drive.
Some 800 people, including 50 Brits, have been held in Thailand since then for alleged drug smuggling.
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Bombshell ‘confession' in murder of Brit found dead in well 12 years after vanishing on Crete holiday could crack case
Bombshell ‘confession' in murder of Brit found dead in well 12 years after vanishing on Crete holiday could crack case

The Irish Sun

time4 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Bombshell ‘confession' in murder of Brit found dead in well 12 years after vanishing on Crete holiday could crack case

A BRIT man has allegedly confessed to the murder of a fellow tourist who vanished on holiday 20 years ago. The remains of Brit Steven Cook, 20, were 8 Steven Cook's remains were found in a well in Crete 12 years after vanishing in 2005 Credit: Athena Picture Agency 8 On September 1, 2005, Steven Cook was out with pals on the first night of his holiday in Malia, Crete - but disappeared without a trace Credit: PA:Press Association 8 A well was being fixed by workmen, who discovered the skeleton Credit: 8 On September 1, 2005, Steven, from Cheshire, was out with pals on the first night of his holiday in Malia, Crete - but disappeared without a trace. In February 2017, workers near a Malia cemetery found a human skeleton in an abandoned well. Steven's family has been desperate for answers ever since - but a recent update might shed some light on Steven's death. Nearly 20 years after Steven went missing, Cheshire police confirm there are developments in the investigation. read more news The holiday was Steven's first trip abroad and, despite being with his friends, he left a pub alone at the end of a night out. The Brit was last seen in a bar asking for directions to his hotel, the Hotel Frixos, but walked off in the wrong direction at the end of a night out in the clubbing hotspot. Grieving parents Norman and Pat, both 73, from Sandbach, even put up a 7,000 euro reward for information about their missing son. It seemed that Steven had vanished off the face of the earth until 12 years later workers found a skeleton at the bottom of a well in Malia. Most read in The Sun Personal items were found with the bones, including a piece of cloth, a belt and a disposable camera. The remains were later confirmed to belong to Brit Steven Cook. Now, seven years after the discovery, cops and prosecutors in Greece are probing an alleged confession alongside UK police. According to Steven's family lawyer, Yiannis Konstantoudakis, an email was sent to Cheshire Police last year from the ex-wife of a 38-year-old British man. Tragedy in Majorca: British Tourist Drowns Near Love Island Villa She has claimed her ex confessed to killing Steven and revealed the horrifying details to her while under the influence of drugs. She described how he got into a fight with a drunk young man in Malia in 2005. After receiving a hit on the head, the victim died - and his body was thrown down a well. The unknown woman claimed to have kept handwritten diary notes from that time, and even produced a silver bracelet with two beads on the end. She claimed the piece of jewellery belonged to the victim. Steven's grieving family didn't identify the jewellery. After the missing Brit's body was discovered in 2017, it broke the 38-year-old man, his ex-wife claimed. She claims he had a mental breakdown and threatened to take his own life. He also required psychiatric evaluation, the ex-wife claimed. 8 The well is in a small structure near a cemetery in Malia Credit: Athena Picture Agency 8 A missing person poster distributed after Steven Cook vanished Credit: Athena Picture Agency 8 Police forensics officers by the outhouse where the well is located Credit: Athena Picture Agency The prosecutor in Heraklion, Crete, shared reservations about the large gap in time between the time Steven went missing and the 38-year-old Brit's ex-wife's claims - but considered them credible. She added that it was not unusual for people under the influence of drugs or alcohol to make revelations about their lives they wouldn't have otherwise said. The 38-year-old Brit has denied any involvement in Steven's death, according to local newspaper When appearing before British authorities, he reportedly claimed he wasn't in Crete in 2005. He described his ex-wife's allegations as "lies". In 2005 there were no systematic passport checks for citizens of the European Union while Great Britain belonged to it. There is a recorded entry of the accused Brit into Greece in 2010 from the airport in Zakynthos. Steven's family were informed of the developments through their lawyer. Mr Konstantoudakis told The Sun of fears that the case could be thrown out in September if there are no major developments. Cheshire Police told The Sun it "is aware of the developments in the investigation into the death of Steven Cook". They added: "At this time, we are working closely with the Greek Authorities and Stevens family who are being supported by specialist officers." 8 Steven's parents Norman and Pat, both 73, from Sandbach, Cheshire, had searched for their son for 12 years Credit: Find Steven Cook

I was a burglar – how thieves cunningly scout out your home, why pets HELP crooks & ways to stay safe over summer hols
I was a burglar – how thieves cunningly scout out your home, why pets HELP crooks & ways to stay safe over summer hols

The Irish Sun

timea day ago

  • The Irish Sun

I was a burglar – how thieves cunningly scout out your home, why pets HELP crooks & ways to stay safe over summer hols

BLOWTORCHES, letterbox tricks and hijacking estate agent ads - the modern criminal has a toolbox full of ingenious ways to break into your home. Now, with thousands of Brits jetting off on their summer holidays, shameless crooks will be plotting their next targets - but our team of experts and their brilliant insider tips can help you 7 Burglars are finding new ways to get into your property and steal your belongings Credit: Getty 7 Crooks can even use blowtorches to break the locks in people's doors Credit: MEN Media This week, we revealed how masked thieves smashed their way into With the property currently up for sale, it is feared the gang may have checked the layout on a property website ad, with a source telling The Sun: 'The raiders must have known the house was empty." This, according to insiders, is one of a raft of cunning tactics criminals use to plan their break-ins - and it's not just celebrities at risk. To find out how not to fall foul, The Sun has spoken to security experts and former burglars who know the tricks of the trade first-hand. Here, they explain how you can make your home less attractive to burglars - and reveal the innovative ways they're able to make off with our belongings. Don't trust the uniform alone Former gang enforcer Lennox Rodgers committed around 20 burglaries and spent 21 years in and out of prison before going straight. He turned his life around after leaving prison for a final time in 2004 and went on to co-found Lennox, from Greenhithe, Kent, is now a security expert. One of his biggest tips is that you can't always trust a person in uniform. 'We used to call police to a block of flats telling them there was a domestic going on and we thought the husband had a knife,' he says. 'Then while they were heading to the top floor to sort out the fake altercation, our car thieves would break into their vehicles to steal police jackets and other things. 'That way when we broke into a bank or elsewhere the staff would see our uniform and wouldn't pay as much attention because they thought we had a right to be there. 'Using other people's identity to avoid raising suspicion has been going on for decades – we've done it with lots of different uniforms, including overalls.' Hammer gang raid Harry Redknapp's £5m mansion and steal his wife Sandra's jewellery as cops probe theory on how they got in Stealing your car with letterbox trick Security expert Robin Knox, from Edinburgh, explains how criminals can get away with your motor without breaking in. 'Keyless entry cars emit a signal that unlocks the vehicle when you are in a certain range and doesn't need a key to start the ignition,' he says. 'All that criminals need to do is stand by your letterbox and essentially record that signal - by taking a snapshot of the code – which they then play back to get into your car.' Robin advised the best way to avoid this is by getting an RFID blocking case to prevent the signal being sent out. He founded Boundary, an alarm system controlled by an app, in 2018 after being the victim of up to 10 attempted burglaries at both his family home and the businesses he ran. Removing windows... or using the roof In 2020, Robin hired a former burglar to understand how criminals break into people's homes . 'One thing that really struck me was that he would sometimes break into people's homes through the roof,' Robin says. 'He would lift off the tiles and cut a hole and go in through the loft, it just shows the lengths burglars will go to if they want to get in.' Another method was taking out the beading of windows so they didn't have to smash glass. 7 We revealed how Harry Redknapp's Dorset home was targeted by a hammer gang Credit: BNPS 7 There are fears Harry and wife Sandra were targeted after raiders studied their home on a property website Credit: Instagram The reformed criminal, who was a burglar for 12 years, also revealed they often squeeze through tiny spaces – including a bathroom window that's only 30cm tall – to get into your home. To Robin, this highlights the importance of always shutting and locking windows and doors – it's always best to fit anti-snap locks. Why you need to have two front door locks Former burglar turned security expert The TV regular, who starred on the BBC's Beat The Burglar, broke into two houses in his late teens before going straight after nearly being sent to prison. 'If you have just got one lock on your door it's a guaranteed entrance point for the burglar because that cylinder isn't actually a lock, it just holds the door in place,' Michael tells The Sun. 'You should have two locks on your front door and always use the second lock, burglars can lean on your front door and if it moves more than two millimetres they know the second lock is not engaged so they can easily break in.' How to protect your home from burglars Install a home security system : Consider alarms, CCTV cameras, and smart doorbells. Choose systems that allow remote monitoring via smartphone. Secure doors and windows : Ensure all doors and windows have robust locks. Use deadbolts and window locks for added security. Consider installing a peephole or door chain. Improve outdoor lighting : Install motion-sensor lights around your property. Ensure pathways, driveways, and entrances are well-lit. Maintain your garden : Keep hedges and shrubs trimmed to eliminate hiding spots. Store tools and ladders securely to prevent their use in break-ins. Use timers for lights : Set timers to turn lights on and off to give the impression someone is home. Consider using smart plugs to control appliances remotely. Secure garages and sheds : Ensure these areas are locked with strong padlocks. Store valuable items out of sight. Get to know your neighbours : Join or form a neighbourhood watch scheme. Encourage neighbours to keep an eye on each other's properties. Be cautious with social media : Avoid posting holiday plans or location updates online. Ensure privacy settings are secure to limit who can see your posts. Mark valuables with a UV pen : Use a UV pen to mark valuables with your postcode and house number. Register items with a property database for easier recovery if stolen. Consider installing a safe : Use a safe to store important documents and valuable items. Ensure the safe is securely bolted to the floor or wall. Review your home insurance : Check that your home insurance policy is up to date. Ensure it covers the value of your possessions. Conduct regular security checks : Periodically review and update your home security measures. Ensure all systems and locks are in good working order. Never give a virtual tour when selling up In a bid to help to sell homes, estate agents often create a virtual tour of the property – but according to Michael this is one of the worst things you could do. 'It's such an easy crime to commit because you can look inside a property online by using the virtual tour, it's basically like online shopping for criminals,' he explains. 'You can see the layout of someone's home, if they have alarms in their rooms and most importantly the types of items they could steal.' Pets are no threat - and often helpful Often in an attempt to dissuade burglars from breaking in people put up 'Beware of the Dog' signs in their windows – but according to Michael that's no deterrent. 'Most dogs are friendly and come up for fuss, we also know that by having a dog you may not have or set your alarm because you pet is running around the house,' he says. 'People with pets also tend to leave the key in the backdoor or near it which weakens your home security – and if you have a cat flap that could be used to steal keys too.' Be careful what you say... and post online Lennox warns that people should be wary of discussing holiday plans in the pub because if a wannabe criminal is listening they can easily follow a person home and find out their address. Not only that, but he advises against telling friends that you're going away too – as they could inadvertently make others aware that your property is empty. Burglars can lean on your front door and if it moves more than two millimetres they know the second lock is not engaged so they can easily break in Michael explains that this also extends to social media and you should be very cautious about what you post publicly. 'Stop advertising your own property to burglars on Facebook by posting pictures of what you own because all that does is attract the wrong sorts of people,' he says. 'Also do not post that you are going away on holiday because that's asking for trouble, it's best to post those selfies when you get home.' Wheelie bins & plant pots are a gift to thieves 'If you're caught carrying tools to break into someone's home you are classed as going equipped and that's an offence, so most clever burglars won't do that,' Robin says. 'Instead they will use stuff left around your house like ladders in your back garden or your wheelie bin to gain access to break a window or they may break into your shed to look for tools. 'They may also use a heavy item like a big plant pot to break in too or if you have a pile of bricks it's worth clearing them up as you're essentially providing someone with the key to your house." Keep your hedges short & avoid detached houses Robin explains that it's important to establish a security perimeter around your house to make your property less attractive to potential intruders. 'Installing lighting means burglars are easier to spot, having a gravel path means they can be heard and securing gates and sheds is a must," he says. Most dogs are friendly and come up for fuss, we also know that by having a dog you may not have or set your alarm 'Keeping your hedges cut low so burglars can be seen in your garden and keeping tight with your neighbours are also great ways to make your home less appealing.' Lennox attests to this and also claims people living in detached houses or at the end of a road are more at risk because they have 'blind spots'. Your alarm may not be faulty Another trick used by burglars is deliberately setting off house alarms from the outside to encourage the police and homeowner to go to the property. 'That way the police and the owner will show up, see there is no sign of a break in and leave,' Lennox explains. 'Shortly after we would return and steal whatever we wanted. If the alarm went off again most people would just assume their alarm was faulty.' Rainy days are best for burglaries Britain's bad weather can also provide perfect opportunities for burglars, Lennox claims. 'When I was a criminal we would take advantage of the bad weather because wind, rain, snow and fog can obscure security cameras,' he says. 'People are also less vigilant when it's foggy or windy and are not looking out the window and when they hear a sound they may think it's a wheelie bin falling over so don't call the police. 7 Lennox Rodgers is a former burglar and gang member turned security expert 7 Robin Knox has suffered up to 10 burglaries in his lifetime and founded home security app Boundary 7 Michael Fraser appeared on BBC's Beat The Burglar, This Morning and other shows

How real Oceans 11 gang bagged £100m in world's biggest heist with spy cams & fake vault… but were undone by rooky error
How real Oceans 11 gang bagged £100m in world's biggest heist with spy cams & fake vault… but were undone by rooky error

The Irish Sun

timea day ago

  • The Irish Sun

How real Oceans 11 gang bagged £100m in world's biggest heist with spy cams & fake vault… but were undone by rooky error

IT was known as the Belgian 'Fort Knox' and security was second to none - with its seemingly impenetrable vault, state of the art alarms and high spec motion sensors. Yet the 12 The vault was ransacked by a criminal gang that got away with £100million Credit: Netflix 12 They were able to get into the diamond vault with 10 layers of security Credit: Netflix 12 Leonardo Notarbartolo admitted being part of the Antwerp gang Credit: Netflix In what could have been the script for a Hollywood movie, the investigation eventually led police to Italy and a gang of elite criminals, known as The School of As brilliant as the heist was, involving a camera pen and even a replica vault, the sophisticated gang were finally undone through one In the Netflix documentary, Stolen: Heist of the Century, one of the jewel thieves explains how it was done and the detectives leading the case tell how they eventually managed to track down their culprits.. On Monday, 17 February, 2003, Agim De Bruycker, then Commander of the police Diamond Squad in Antwerp, was greeted at his office by his colleague, Detective Patrick Peys. READ MORE IN FEATURES 'There has been a burglary,' he said. 'A safe has been broken open.' It was to prove something of an understatement. When they arrived at the Diamond Center, they were greeted by a 'I saw a steel door a foot thick, standing open,' Patrick recalls. 'Inside, the walls were covered with individual lockers. The majority were cracked and opened. I was standing in front of Ali Baba's cave.' The floor was scattered with bank notes and small emeralds that the thieves deemed not worth their time. Nearly all of the 189 safe deposit boxes had been raided. The heist immediately hit the news headlines and the pressure was on the police to find out who had done it. But the mystery was also how had they done it? Most read in The Sun 'The combination on the safe door was changed weekly and that dial would give you 100million possibilities,' says Patrick. In addition was a clever magnetic alarm system consisting of two metal plates – one attached to the vault door, the other to the door jamb. If someone tried to open the door while the alarm was still activated, it would break the magnetic field and the alarm would set off. The Sun's reporter blags London landmarks Inside the vault was a light detector and a motion and The 13-storey building had 24 cameras working day in, day out. The footage for each day was stored on a videocassette but the ones for February 15 and 16 – the weekend of the heist – were missing. 'I was thinking this had to be an inside job,' says Agim. 'You had the security, two concierges and the building manager. We started investigating them thoroughly and searched their houses but in the end, we had to clear them all. We had no idea who had committed the crime. Then, suddenly, in the afternoon, I got a telephone call.' Breakthrough 12 Antwerp in Belgium has been a major diamond centre since medieval times Credit: Getty 12 Agim De Bruycker and Patrick Peys in Stolen: Heist of the Century (L to R) Credit: Netflix A shopkeeper had found a bag of rubbish dumped in The Floordambos Woods, 25 miles south of Antwerp, where he liked to go to feed the rabbits and fish. Inside was a lot of torn paper with words like Antwerp and Diamonds. Realising it wasn't the usual type of 'That call changed everything,' says Patrick. 'The bags also contained some very small green emerald stones, banknotes, wrenches and flashlights as well as some left over food – pasta, cheese, a half-eaten salami sandwich, wine. This was strange because I don't think they had a picnic in the vault room. The food was probably from a hideout.' Another critical piece of evidence found in the woods was the casing of the video cassettes kept at the Diamond Center. But the tape had been removed. A search of the highway between Antwerp and Brussels found that the tape had been dumped en-route. Experts from Sony were able to reinstall it into the casing so that it could be watched. It was a big moment that promised to show the thieves at work. 'We had all the investigators together, along with my superiors, for the screening,' recalls Agim. 'The tape is put into the cassette player, the film starts… and it was a porn movie.' I've never been so disappointed in a porn movie as I was then! Patrick Peys 'I've never been so disappointed in a porn movie as I was then!' adds Patrick. The police started piecing together the torn paper found in the rubbish bag. Some of it formed a document, written in Italian, which was a permit to install a security system at an office in the Diamond Center. The document was issued by the Italian The company had an office in the building that had been rented for two years but cupboards and desks were empty. 'The building manager didn't know the man who rented that office very well but she could tell us that he was an Italian businessman named Leonardo Notarbartolo. She had no address for him,' says Agim. When police went through CCTV footage in the building, she was eventually able to point him out. Like many other dealers who rented space in the building, he regularly went down to the vault to store his jewels. He never spoke to anyone and never attracted attention. But a check with Paper scraps from the rubbish bag also revealed an envelope with the name Elio D'Onorio with an address close to Rome. He turned out to be an alarm specialist and a known I The rubbish also revealed a receipt from a The shop owner was able to provide the police with a description of the man who bought them and an identikit picture matched that of D'Onorio. A colleague of Agim and Patrick's showed them a file he had on an attempted burglary that had taken place at the Diamond Center six years earlier by a man pretending to be a diamond dealer who was also from Turin called Ferdinando Finotto. 'The School of Turin' Marci Martino, head of the Flying Squad in Turin, informed the Antwerp detectives about a group specialising in 'He explained that it was a bunch of people, each specialising in some form of criminal behaviour,' says Patrick. 'So, they picked who they needed according to his or her speciality.' 'It made a lot of sense to us,' says Agim. 'Certainly given the way the thieves had tackled all these security systems.' With three names now in the bag, Agim and Patrick began working out how they thought the operation had been done. But their version and that of Notarbartolo's differ. The Antwerp detectives believe that entrance was gained from the garage that led through a connecting door directly into the building on the ground floor. A modified Allen key, found in the rubbish at Floordambos, opened the door when they tested it. Career criminal 12 Notarbartolo received a 10-year prison service Credit: BELGA PHOTO 12 Outside the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) in the diamond district of Antwerp, Belgium Credit: getty 12 In a new Netflix documentary, Notarbartolo explains how it was done Credit: Netflix And in an exclusive interview, Leonardo Notarbartolo tells the Born in Palermo, he got into crime at the age of six when he stole 5,000 lire from a cowherd. 'In the 80s, I opened my first jewellery shop,' he says. 'I started going back and forth to Antwerp to buy gemstones and got an apartment there and an office and safe deposit box at the Diamond Center.' He admits to being part of the gang who carried out the heist but named a mysterious figure who he claimed was the mastermind of the crime. If I took photos inside the vault, he would give me 100,000 dollars. I said, 'Okay. I'm in' Leonardo Notarbartolo 'I am a participant. The mastermind was someone who went by the name of Alessandro, although that probably wasn't his real name. He took me for coffee one day, saying that he knew who I was and that we had met in Italy, and gave me a pen with a tiny little camera inside and said that if I took photos inside the vault, he would give me 100,000 dollars. I said, 'Okay. I'm in.'' In February 2001, two years before the heist, Notarbartolo entered the vault and took pictures of the safe deposits and the alarms systems. He was then asked to join the gang for a share of the spoils worth at least $15m dollars each. 'I had always wanted to be part of something like this. It was too tempting,' he says. 'Alessandro took me to an industrial area where there are warehouses. We go inside and there are three people there who he introduces me to. There were the four of us main ones - The Monster, The Genius, the Key Master and me. The fifth was My Friend. Agim De Bruycker 'The first guy was a master when it came to locks and alarms. He is 1.93 metres tall, well-built. That's why I call him 'They pull aside some big plastic sheets and I see this place which looks just like the vault. It's exactly the same, with the sensors correctly positioned. 'The gang was coming in and out of the Diamond Center to make copies of keys and to check security systems at least 30 times and never left a trace. 'When The Genius realised there was a light bulb above the vault door, he had a micro camera inserted in it to record images of the combination lock below. In the boiler room were some fire extinguishers and The heist Three days before the heist, Notarbartolo, who had graduated from a spy pen to a video camera inside a small bag, used hairspray to fog up the sensor. 'We didn't enter the way the police think we did. We entered from Pelikaanstraat, where there is a space behind the Diamond Center to park cars. We skirted along the walls of the Diamond Center and went up a stepladder that we took with us, to the first floor. The Genius had bypassed the alarm that was on this balcony. 'On the day of the hit, they wanted me to stay outside to keep a watch for any police. There were the four of us main ones - The Monster, The Genius, the Key Master and me. The fifth was My Friend. He has excellent qualities in our line of work. 12 Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world Credit: Getty 'Inside the building they deactivated the two side cameras and then checked the images from the micro-camera to see the last combination that was entered that night. The This part of the story tallies with that of the police. 'Some work had been done on the magnetic alarm,' Agim confirms. 'The screws had been removed and shortened so that from the outside everything looks fine but on the inside the screws are not attaching to the door anymore. "Instead, double-sided tape was used. On the night of the heist, they pulled the plates away from the vault door together. The magnetic field is still intact, the alarm is still on but they are able to open the vault door.' Each safe deposit box has an individual key and a three-digit dial but this was by-passed by a cleverly manufactured drill that looked a bit like a corkscrew with two metal bars with which the thieves could force each box open. After a few hours inside, the gang made their get-away in the car driven by Notarbartolo, back to his apartment where they celebrated with some food and wine. 12 A forensic officer examines the crime scene Credit: Netflix How the heist was carried out Two years before Notarbartolo posed as a diamond merchant and rented an office in the Diamond Center, as well as a safety deposit box in the vault. He used his position to pay regular visits to the vault, taking pictures of the alarm systems and sensors and memorising the building's layout. Months before A secret camera was placed in the lighbulb above the vault door, to monitor the combinations used on the lock, which were changed every week. A receiver was placed in a fire extinguisher in a nearby boiler room to transmit images from the camera. Notarbartolo claims the gang regularly met at a warehouse where a full size replica vault had been built, to hone their plan. Days before Notarbartolo used hairspray on the thermal-motion sensors to disable them. The screws on the magnetic plates that locked the vault were loosened. Day of the robbery The gang gained access from a space behind the centre, using a stepladder to climb to a balcony on the first floor. Inside, they used a long, two-part, three-dimensional key along with the vault's combination to open the main door. One plate of the magnetic lock was unscrewed to bypass the alarm system when the vault door was opened. A polystyrene shield was used to block the infrared ray of the motion sensor. The ceiling light sensor was covered with duct tape so the gang could turn the lights on inside the vault. A custom-made, hand-cranked drill was used to open 109 of the 189 safe deposit boxes within the vault. The gang then emptied the contents of the boxes into duffel bags and left the building through a street exit. Before leaving, they stole the security footage from the Diamond Center's office. According to Notarbartolo, it was his job to dispose of things snatched that they did not need. But he says that while he was in the shower someone also threw the remains of their meal into the bags without him realising. When he and his friend took them to the wood, they were startled by a noise and instead of burning it, as intended, dumped it there and fled. The following day the gang met up in Brescia, Italy to divvy up the bounty and, such was Notarbartolo's confidence that he was not on the police's radar, he then went back to Antwerp to return the hired car. The cops were startled when the building manager of the Diamond Center rang them to say that Leonardo Notarbartolo was actually standing in the building right now. Our main suspect returned to Antwerp and was standing in the building that he had robbed a week before. It was unbelievable Agim De Bruycker 'Our main suspect returned to Antwerp and was standing in the building that he had robbed a week before. It was unbelievable,' says Agim. The police rushed there and he was arrested. He reluctantly gave them the address of his apartment and when they drove there, three people were coming out – Notarbartolo's wife and two men, one carrying a rolled up carpet on his shoulder. They were stopped and inside the carpet were small green emeralds. A 'pure fantasy' 12 Special keys to open high-security vaults at the Antwerp Diamond Center are displayed on a table as pieces of evidence at the Antwerp judicial police headquarters Credit: AP Photo/Yves Logghe A search of the apartment found a bag with a hole in the side, perfect for concealing a 'We also found a receipt from a local supermarket in Antwerp with different food items like wine, pasta, cheese and salami of the type found back in Floordambos,' says Agim. 'We matched Mr Notarbartolo's DNA with that found on the half-eaten salami sandwich. 'Based on the telephone records from SIM cards and on the DNA profiles, we were able to identify four people that were 100 per cent involved in this crime – Ferdinando Finotto (The Monster), Elio D'Onorio (The Genius) and a third person, Pietro Tavano (My Friend) - an old friend of Mr Notarbartolo and also a member of The School of Turin. The fourth person was Notarbartolo.' Agim believes much of Notarbartolo's account is pure fantasy. 'Spy pens? Replica vaults? That isn't the story of a Notarbartolo received a 10-year prison service and served six years, before being released in 2009. His wife was never charged. Three other gang members were jailed for five years. But the true value of the heist is still a mystery. 'No diamonds or money were recovered,' says Agim. 'We came up with the figure of $100m but I'm sure that the amount is much higher than that.' Stolen: Heist of the Century is on Netflix from August 8 12 Stolen: Heist of the Century is only on Netflix Credit: netflix

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