It was a plot that could have been lifted straight from a Hollywood blockbuster: a gang of criminals, a priceless diamond, a daring escape plan, and a dramatic takedown. But this actually happened in real life.
On November 7, 2000, a group of seasoned criminals attempted to steal the Millennium Star diamond from London’s Millennium Dome in what would have been the largest diamond heist in history. Thanks to meticulous planning and undercover work by the Metropolitan Police, the raid was stopped, and the perpetrators were brought to justice.
Now, a new documentary created by the legendary Guy Ritchie – The Diamond Heist – has been released on Netflix, revealing just how thieves almost got away with the multi-million-pound theft.
At the heart of the plot was the Millennium Star, a flawless 203-carat diamond valued at £200million. Displayed as part of the De Beers diamond exhibition at the Dome, it was considered one of the most perfect gems in the world.
Alongside it were 11 other rare blue diamonds, bringing the total value of the exhibit to an estimated £350million. If it were to be valued now, it would be worth an eye-watering £750million.
The gang behind the plot included Lee Wenham, a career criminal, and Ray Betson, a notorious figure in London’s underworld. They were joined by William Cockram, Terry Millman, Aldo Ciarrocchi, Robert Adams, Kevin Meredith, and James Hurley.
Their plan was as bold as it was elaborate: use a modified JCB digger to smash through the Dome’s perimeter, deploy smoke bombs to create chaos, and break into the diamond vault using sledgehammers and nail guns. The getaway? A speedboat waiting on the Thames.
But unbeknownst to the gang, the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad had been surveilling them for months under Operation Magician. Tipped off by Kent Police, who had been investigating the gang for other crimes, the Flying Squad meticulously planned their response.
They replaced the real diamonds with replicas, installed a false wall inside the exhibit to conceal armed officers, and positioned undercover officers disguised as cleaners throughout the Dome. On the day of the raid, more than 100 officers were in position.
As the gang executed their plan, smashing into the Dome and heading for the vault, police moved in. The gang was arrested on the spot, and their plan was thwarted without a single shot fired.
Former armed robber Noel “Razor” Smith revealed how one of the ringleaders of the raid, Bill Cockram, told him in prison he believed the botched burglary was “cursed” after two of the perpetrators died. In 2022, Noel told The Sun: “He told me, ‘There’s a curse on this job like Brink’s-Mat, you know. We’re all gonna die off’.”
The trial began a year later at the Old Bailey. The gang members received sentences totalling over 70 years. Judge Michael Coombe praised the police’s “extraordinary care” in preventing what could have been the largest robbery in the world.
The attempted heist has since been the subject of documentaries and dramatisations, including the new Netflix series The Diamond Heist, executively produced by Guy Ritchie.
The Diamond Heist streams on Netflix from April 16
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