Antwerp: At the centre of the diamond trade for 400 years

Thieves cleared out 123 of the 160 vaults in the maximum security cellars at Antwerp's Diamond Centre at the weekend, but the raid was only discovered the next day.

The precise value of the stolen diamonds is not known, but Belgian media have speculated it could run to millions of dollars.

Diamond traders in the city have been shocked by the audacity of the robbery and fear it could be a blow to their industry.

Inside job?

The Diamond Centre building, located in the heart of Antwerp's historic diamond district, is closely guarded.

There are surveillance camers, entry codes, 24-hour security guards, and even cameras in the vaults.

But with no signs of a break-in, police suspect the thieves could have had inside help and have been questioning staff and owners of the safes at the centre.

Antwerp's Diamond High Council, which represents the gemstone traders, has admitted the robbery could have serious implications for an industry proud of its discretion and security.

"Diamond traders aren't saying it openly, but it's clear they think one of their colleagues was perhaps implicated in the plot," the council's spokesman, Youri Steverlynck, said.

The diamonds in the vaults belonged to about 70 individuals or organisations, the Antwerp prosecutor's office believes.