Belgian diamond robbery

[Spudly]

So, they pinched 50m worth of diamonds. What's the betting that if/when they are caught, they get a heavier prison sentence than if they had murdered someone?
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The Old Apprentice

[fatpies]

Err diamonds are pretty worthless.



In the 18th century they were incredibly rare being only found in riverbeds in India. Then colonialism happened in Africa and modern technology (for the time) was used to mine for diamonds and they found incredible amounts of them Wembley stadium quantities of them. So many infact that the value floated above worthless. A similar thing happened with Silver when massive deposits were found in South America.

So the diamond miners formed a massive cartel, and combined with a cynical exploitation of women via a exploitative advertising campaign who DEMAND diamond rings, while at the same time only releasing a few thousand diamonds a year. With massive massive storage facilities to keep them off the open market.

The cartel is even banned in the USA:

https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/10/business/worldbusiness/10diamond.html?pagewanted=2

Have a read of this:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/304575/1/

https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2524/is-a-diamonds-price-a-true-measure-of-its-value
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"It's easy to attack and destroy an act of creation. It's a lot more difficult to perform one"

[Spudly]

I don't disagree about the intrinsic value of diamonds, but I think the thieves - and the prosecution - will be focused more on the market value of the stones.

As I say though, I'm sure if the thieves are caught, they will be given heavier sentences than a murderer.
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The Old Apprentice

[Rogerborg]

The cynical part of me reckons it's an inside job to increase the perceived scarcity and value of the worthless baubles.

The non-cynical part of me remains in a pretty tenuous state of being.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
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[Spudly]

[GhostRider]

[Vracktal]

[Rogerborg]

[unitynotsocri...]

there is a mucky world of international arms dealing,s/h and new and the diamond centreslike Antwerp.

diamonds are easy to smuggle,many people fly out of manchester to Antwerp,returning with uncut diamonds.they recut them and smuggle them back to Antwerp and sell them.,,,

manchester and Antwerp have a reputation for recycled weapons.
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