Belgian court acquits suspects in Swiss plane diamond heist
A Belgian court has acquitted for lack of evidence 18 suspects accused of snatching millions worth of jewellery from the hold of a Swiss-bound plane.
One other person, who has a separate lawyer and is suspecteswitzerland diamondsdiamd of being the mastermind, will hear his case in court later.
The court’s decision could still be appealed.
The acquittal deepens the mystery around one of the most sophisticated heists in recent years.
In the Feb. 18, 2013, eight masked assailants brandishing machine gun, offloaded 120 parcels of stones from a Zurich-bound Helvetic Airways plane at Brussels airport.
They fled the scene with jewels valued at CHF46 million ($50 million at the time) without firing a shot.
Dozens of people were detained three months later in a security sweep across three nations.
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Thieves steal diamonds from Swiss aircraft
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