In Belgium, only crooks have guns

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BRUSSELS—Twenty-nine passengers sat aboard a Zurich-bound flight here Monday evening waiting for the last bags to be loaded, when heavily armed robbers raced up to the plane and stole more than 120 packages of diamonds whose value is estimated as high at $350 million.

Some of the eight masked assailants stood in front of the Helvetic Airways jet plane with machine guns, pointing laser sights at the pilots inside the cockpit while others forced ground staff to open the plane's cargo doors, according to Belgian prosecutors and other people familiar with the events.

The robbers snatched specific consignments and sped off in minutes without firing a shot, said Belgian prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch. "It was well-prepared and very professional," she said.

The heist passed so quickly and quietly that travelers on the plane and inside the terminal barely knew what had happened. "It wasn't something you'd expect to see in real life," said Brussels Airport spokesman Jan Van der Cruysse. "It was something you'd see in the movies."

The thieves appeared to have detailed information about both the cargo and operations at Brussels Airport, said aviation security specialists, and likely had help from people at the airport. That underscores worries by international law-enforcement officials that, in spite of many years of improvement in airport security, the many workers at these facilities continue to pose a threat for their potential to help not only criminals, but also terrorists.

The brazen heist is Europe's highest-value and most dramatic tarmac holdup in a decade, said aviation security specialists.

http://m.wsj.com/articles/a/SB10001424127887323495104578313523821463276?mg=reno64-wsj

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

OP title misleading.

The estimated total number of guns held by civilians in Belgium is 1,800,0001 to 2,000,000

http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/belgium

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

[quote name=' timestamp='1361317595' post='5990856]BRUSSELS—Twenty-nine passengers sat aboard a Zurich-bound flight here Monday evening waiting for the last bags to be loaded, when heavily armed robbers raced up to the plane and stole more than 120 packages of diamonds whose value is estimated as high at $350 million.

http://m.wsj.com/articles/a/SB10001424127887323495104578313523821463276?mg=reno64-wsj

See what Murdock does to a fine newspaper? He fcuks it up! The conservative estimate was $50 million. Apparently one Flemish language broadcaster (VRT) reported the value to be at about €350 million - which, of course, would be $ 470 million rather than the $350 million Murdocks puppets at WSJ report. But hey, the WSJ is becoming the print version of Fox News so how the hell would I come to expect facts or accuracy in that rag anymore.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Mr. Big Dog

[james&olya 1,121]

What is the point of this post? Besides being quite inaccurate it is also more than a little absurd to suppose that if that occurred anywhere in the USA that some concealed carry person might stop it!

Considering how the price of diamonds is kept artificially inflated by corporate crooks it is hard to feel too sorry for the 'victims'!

[^_^ 5,021]

What is the point of this post? Besides being quite inaccurate it is also more than a little absurd to suppose that if that occurred anywhere in the USA that some concealed carry person might stop it!

Considering how the price of diamonds is kept artificially inflated by corporate crooks it is hard to feel too sorry for the 'victims'!

They would never pull this off in Bush Intercontinental. Heck, they wouldn't even try.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

[quote name=' timestamp='1361329113' post='5991175]They would never pull this off in Bush Intercontinental. Heck, they wouldn't even try.

Why not? Because baggage handlers at Bush International are packing?

[james&olya 1,121]

[quote name=' timestamp='1361329113' post='5991175]

They would never pull this off in Bush Intercontinental. Heck, they wouldn't even try.

I have not been at Bush Intercontinental or the Brussels Airport. I HAVE seen a number of other European airports and the display of heavily armed security with automatic weapons is more than at large airports in the USA. The only reason this didn't happen at Bush is that I doubt they had any target nearly as tempting. That and the IQ levels of our domestic hoodlums vs these European crooks!