The largest operation in Flying Squad history foiled a £350 million diamond heist at the Millennium Dome, including the 203-carat Millennium Star.
Key Facts
- Date of attempt
- 7 November 2000
- Target gem
- Millennium Star diamond, 203.04 carats
- Estimated haul value
- £350 million (£665 million in 2025)
- Millennium Star value
- £200 million (£380 million in 2025)
- Planned escape route
- Thames River via speedboat
- Lead investigator
- Jon Shatford, Metropolitan Police Flying Squad
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A local gang, already under surveillance by Kent Police Serious Crime for suspected involvement in multiple armoured vehicle robberies, identified the De Beers diamond exhibition at the Millennium Dome as a target. They planned a ram-raid to seize the Millennium Star and associated blue diamonds, then flee via the River Thames in a speedboat.
On 7 November 2000, the gang attempted the ram-raid of the De Beers exhibition at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich. The Metropolitan Police Flying Squad, acting on intelligence from Kent Police, had prepared the largest counter-operation in the Squad's history and intercepted the gang during the attempt, arresting the members before any diamonds could be taken.
The attempted robbery was entirely foiled and the gang was brought to trial. The presiding judge commended the police operation. Had it succeeded, the heist would have ranked among the largest burglaries in history, but instead it became a high-profile example of proactive law enforcement and undercover surveillance disrupting organised crime.