FLASH
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He is undoubtedly an expert in this field, a brilliant and unusual mind. But when it comes to an extraordinary robbery like Sunday's at the Louvre, Leonardo Notarbartolo knows how to do it.
The 73-year-old from Palermo, who lives in Turin, entered one of the hearts of the world economy: the vault of the Diamond Center in Antwerp, Belgium, on Valentine's Day evening in 2003. He and his accomplices emptied 123 of the 160 vaults, taking a haul of diamonds worth 200 million euros (more than double the value of Paris) and did not hurt anyone.
The “heist of the century” in which Notarbartolo was the architect, inspired two series on Amazon Prime and Netflix. Everything fell apart during the escape due to an amateur mistake, a sandwich wrapper on the highway by one of the accomplices, led to the police taking his DNA.
After six years in prison, Notarbartolo is free and considered one of Italy's top experts on robbery. Il Corriere della Sera brings a different perspective from a robber on the four thieves who robbed one of the world's most famous museums.
-Notarbartolo, if you were on the side of the investigators, where would you start the investigation? How would you instinctively judge the case?
"It is probably a paid operation, with the help of an accomplice and other people outside the museum to act as guards and to act to facilitate the escape."
-How do you define this?
"We are talking about a unique loot, of inestimable value and difficult to sell. It is tempting for many people, of course, but there is another problem. The robbery was carried out at the specific request of a wealthy and very trusted client. Otherwise, there is no other explanation. It must be a prestigious collector willing to welcome a piece of history into his home. Also because the diamond market is declining, especially due to the increase in those produced in laboratories. Thus, the temptation to have a forbidden item prevails."
-Weren't you surprised by the method? It seems like a perfect, but almost elementary, heist, where acting and resources outweigh strategy. Do you agree?
“They were very good, but anything is possible when you have someone ready to tell you everything from the inside, a corrupt person. You can observe the place as much as you want, but some information you can't get. But of course, the whole scenario was brilliant. It requires personality and self-control. Evil minds always dare. Even to think of robbing the Louvre, you have to be a little crazy.”
-Tell the truth, are you a little jealous?
"Only if they don't get caught. But I don't think they'll give up. My group and I planned it for three years before we did it, doing everything ourselves. No pay or buyers. We did it for ourselves. On the other hand, they had some drawbacks; some of them can break in the long run and they left some traces during the escape. Moreover, the target is shared with someone outside the group who is already in danger. I never liked it; I've always turned down paid work.
-Is robbing a bank easier than robbing a museum?
“Second, but the media attention changes. You have to endure greater pressure and be prepared to be wanted by anyone. I'm not just talking about the authorities. That's why I pursued other objectives. I would never have been able to do it in Turin. The Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage are the best unit, I won't add anything else.”
-The Parisian robbers were better than you at escaping.
"They are definitely professionals. It's a matter of working out the details, including taking into account traffic and traffic lights. They chose skateboards. I lived in Paris, so the robbery could only be carried out at lunchtime, avoiding the sophisticated night alarm. Not to mention the two commissariats nearby. They carried out a perfect military operation.
-Are they the robbers of the century?
"Don't kid yourself, I beat every security system in one of the most secure vaults in the world. Without any help. I used hairspray to cover the heat and motion sensor, a shield to create an infrared-protected tunnel, another system to disable the magnetic field. We're talking about a thousand days of programming."
-What advice would you give to robbers and investigators now?
“I would tell the former not to make any moves for a while ; the AI surveillance system will be looking for them. If I were the law enforcement, I would focus on the ‘bugs’, every employee coming in and out of that museum. I think the story is not over.”
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