A 50 million dollars robbery in Brussels could have been avoided

Posted On 27.02.2013

This article was written by Colonel (Ret.) Beni Tal – Founder and Owner of BTS Security

A security mix up of historical proportions led to one of the largest robberies ever – a 50 million dollar one – stolen from a plane in Brussels.

The robbers must have had inside help

Just last week we have all read the news about the 8 criminals who broke into a plane parked in an airport in Brussels – reaching a $50 million dollars worth of cargo. Usually, security guards load the diamonds onto a special trunk situated in the cockpit. The robbers managed to take the money without a single shot being made. The entire thing took them approximately 3 minutes.

Watch a brief video summarizing the robbery and the subsequent investigation

The police found the getaway car near the airport – burned to the ground in order to prevent any possible forensic identification. Obviously, they switched into a second vehicle that helped them escape. There is no doubt in my mind that this could have been avoided had more serious security precautions been taken.

I also believe that they had outside help that was crucial for them. Too many strange things happened – the robbers knew how to penetrate the plane, they knew about the weakest spot there, they knew when exactly will the plane be situated at the parking and so on. Finally, no one shot at them trying to stop them. This is to say the least – very weird.

Professional security guards would have been ready for such a scenario

A Professional security firm managed by experienced individuals should have taken care of an electric fence with alarms around the plane. The alarms should have been activated once someone touches it. Such a precaution would have led to an immediate lockdown with security forces rushing to the scene. The airport's management should have considered the attempt to reach this cargo just as they consider terrorist attacks with a direct threat to human lives. Once again, no one shot at them – no one stopped them.

Moreover, a serious security firm should have taken care of the plane on a 24\7 and 360 degrees of security. They should have possessed all the necessary equipment such as guns, rifles and night vision goggles. The crew loading the cargo from an adjacent truck to the cockpit should have been secured – every scenario should have been covered. A professional security personnel has to be ready for similar cases because you don't deal with such a precious cargo on a daily basis.



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