BREAKING: Armed thieves pull off huge diamond heist

Machine-gun toting robbers disguised as police have made off with more than $60 million worth of uncut diamonds in a spectacular heist at Brussels airport.

Officials say a gang of eight armed thieves drove two vans through a perimeter fence and pulled up alongside a Helvetic passenger plane bound for Switzerland.

They then forced open the cargo hold to reach the rough gems that had just been loaded.

The thieves stole a swag of uncut and polished diamonds in a matter of minutes, according to Brussels airport spokesman Jan Van der Cruysse.



[link to www.abc.net.au]