$1 Million Jewelry Robbery

[Cheeky Farang]

$1 Million Jewelry Robbery at Carl Blackburn Fine Jewelry

Publish Date : 11/1/2004 3:19:00 PM Source : Culture and Community News

Diamond and platinum designer jewelry to the value of US$1,000,000 has been reported stolen in Bangkok. The jewels, loose diamonds and finished jewelry, were taken from the factory safe of Carl Blackburn Fine Jewelry. The jewelry is very distinctive, and has the company logo (CB) stamped on every piece. The theft took place on Saturday 23rd October. The Bangkok police are now investigating the case.

The alleged suspect in the case is company employee, Dirk De Weirdt (who also goes by the name Anthony). He reportedly fled his apartment in Central Bangkok on the weekend of the theft, and has not been seen since. De Weirdt, originally from Belgium, is a long term resident in Thailand. He speaks a number of languages including English, French, Dutch and some Thai. He is described as tall, pale skinned, slim built with medium length light brown wavy hair. He speaks with a strong Belgian accent. He is around 43 years of age.

It is suspected that De Weirdt may have forged travel documents, and uses various aliases (including the name Dominique Jean Denis Verbestel). He also carries a British passport with the name Richard P. Branson. It is also suspected that De Weirdt chose Saturday 23rd October to carry out the crime, as Monday 25th was a national holiday, allowing additional time to lapse before its discovery. The theft occurred after De Weirdt secured on memo a large amount of diamonds from local Thai suppliers. The half-finished jewelry which was stolen includes rings, earrings, bracelets, and pendants in 18k white gold, sometimes in combination with 18k yellow gold and/or rose gold.

Before arriving in Thailand, De Weirdt owned a diamond setting shop in Antwerp, having closed a Belgian jewelry store passed down to him by his parents. While in Antwerp he committed fraud against several stone suppliers, before finally leaving for the Caribbean Islands, the Canary Islands, and then Thailand.

Carl Blackburn Fine Jewelry, based in Bangkok’s jewelry district, has offered a reward of US$50,000 for any information leading to the arrest of De Weirdt, and the recovery of the stolen goods. Any person or persons having information about the crime or the alleged suspect are asked to contact: Carl Blackburn Fine Jewelry Co., Ltd, email: e-mail protected from spam bots, telephone: +662-267-4602, fax: +662-267-4603, or after working hours: +661-936-3643.

http://www.onlypunjab.com/fullstory1004-in...wsID-12352.html

[English Noodles]

It is suspected that De Weirdt may have forged travel documents, and uses various aliases (including the name Dominique Jean Denis Verbestel). He also carries a British passport with the name Richard P. Branson.

He also carries a US pasport with the name Donald Trump.

[chingy_]

diamond thief is a high class thief, you won't find him at kao-sarn, better look for him at 5 start hotel

[wrksysact]

Good luck to the guy.

[Lioneric]

The time lapse allow him to escape to neighbour countries maybe into Myamar where a lot of jewery traders buy black market diamond and bring to belgieum.

How did he bring those diamond out from the factory?MAybe this can make into a movie to study.

[terdsak_12]

Hope he makes it, if you're gonna rob 1 million US, you better have a good escape plan, I'll bet he's lonnnnng gone.

[JemJem]

I doubt he will go back to Europe. He will possibly do just fine, bribing his way through, living in a neighboring country of Thailand or maybe in South America.

Jem

[thaidancer]

I doubt he will go back to Europe. He will possibly do just fine, bribing his way through, living in a neighboring country of Thailand or maybe in South America.

Jem

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He's chillin in Brazil right now enjoying life and laughing.

[chingy_]

1 million $US diamond, now thats what i call a good steal, hope hes smart enought to stay low

[george]

Bangkok police arrest Belgian gemstones thief

BANGKOK: -- Police in Bangkok have arrested a Belgian national wanted in connection with a string of gemstones thefts in Thailand and abroad.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Krissapha Phankhongchuen, the Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said that the 40 year-old Dominic Verbestel, the manager of a jewellery company in Bangkok's Bang Rak district, was finally tracked down on the southern Lanta Island, or Koh Lanta, after stealing diamonds, pearls and other gemstones from his company over a five-day period last month.

Police officials were able to retrieve all of the gemstones, said to be worth over Bt18.49 million.

Mr. Verbestel had apparently given many of them to his former girlfriend, a Thai national, who was charged by police with possession of stolen goods.

Mr. Verbestel confessed to having carried out similar thefts on several occasions in the past, and having fled to Thailand after having a USD50 charge put on him by the Belgian authorities for involvement in jewellery thefts in his home country.

--TNA 2004-11-07

[wrksysact]

Doh!

Thai'd down by the love of a woman flaunting her newly won gems around town!

Time to enjoy prison food!

[terdsak_12]

Shame, I had high hopes for this fella, why didn't he flee when he had the chance????

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Shame, I had high hopes for this fella, why didn't he flee when he had the chance????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It sounds as though his smaller head might have been in charge of thinking right at that time.

[BoomBoom]

Doh!

Thai'd down by the love of a woman flaunting her newly won gems around town!

Time to enjoy prison food!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

His appartment was opposite a friend of mines, met the guy a few times, and he seemed a decent enuf fella.. Him and his bird were driving round in Mercs/Beamers long before this happened

[Tornado]

He also carries a British passport with the name Richard P. Branson

Great idea! , fancy using that name .

I think he missed chapter two in the "how to lay low" handbook

[ChiangMaiThai]

Lays out a good plan. Commits. Executes. Success! And then he gives the 'very distinctive' stolen goods to his girlfriend to wear and doesn't even bother to leave the country. Jesus Christ.

He was everyone's hero for a few days. Now he's just another idiot in jail.

[chingy_]

in most movies diamond thief never get caught, what happen?

Lays out a good plan. Commits. Executes. Success! And then he gives the 'very distinctive' stolen goods to his girlfriend to wear and doesn't even bother to leave the country. Jesus Christ.

He was everyone's hero for a few days. Now he's just another idiot in jail.

second that, he could atleast go to mymar, malay,or combo, truely idiot.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

He also carries a British passport with the name Richard P. Branson

Great idea! , fancy using that name .

I think he missed chapter two in the "how to lay low" handbook

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Any thinking punter in that position would have been on the Saturday flight for somewhere else. Definitely not enjoying a Thai island holiday.