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Twelve glittering diamonds. Six determined thieves. A robbery just waiting to happen.
In November 2000, the most audacious crime ever attempted in Britain took place: the broad-daylight theft of a diamond collection worth £350 million from the infamous Millennium Dome, by a gang armed only with smoke bombs, stink bombs, a JCB, a speedboat and, bizarrely, a Catherine Wheel firework. The Diamond Geezers, a motley crew of petty criminals from south-east London, were desperate for cash and had nothing to lose; the gems were in a poorly-guarded tent by the river – how hard could it be? But the police were on to them: the capture of the Diamond Geezers would save the Flying Squad’s tattered reputation.
For the first time since that extraordinary day, investigative journalist Kris Hollington lays bare the bones of the case, using in-depth interviews with the Diamond Geezers, the police, Dome workers and De Beers employees to get to the heart of the heist. Discover who was crazy enough to want to buy the hottest diamonds in the world, as well as the shocking secrets of the globe’s most precious diamond collection. From the crime’s conception and execution to the notorious trial and appeal, it’s a gripping account of a remarkable true-crime tale.
On both sides, everything was at stake. This is the unbelievable story of the Crime of the Millennium.
book reviews
- This is London
"Kris Hollington has delved into the criminal underworld and spoken to sources from the police and De Beers to uncover a fascinating account of the event…a story of bungling ineptitude, audacity in the face of logic and disaster on a spectacular scale. A very British tragi-comedy…With echoes of the Ealing comedies and The Italian Job, it sounds like a box office hit." - Amazon.co.uk
"...super fast-paced…Amazingly the author found the 'Mr Big', the man that organised the raid and who escaped the clutches of the police as well as the man who was going to buy the stones which involves a journey across Marbella, Africa and Russia...these are serious crims! It's also a hilarious investigation of the security of the Dome (the Group 4 offices at the Dome were called the 'Comedy Zone' by Dome staff) as well as a really eye-opening view of the diamond trade and how easy it is to sell illicit diamonds legally. My verdict: Rip-roaring stuff that you won't be able to stop reading when you start - every chapter ends in such a way that you have to start the next.” - The Guardian
"It was a robbery attempted by petty criminals on a site protected by a single 17-year-old, but stopping it became the most expensive operation in Flying Squad history. Kris Hollington investigates the true story of the Millennium Dome raid." - News of the World
"Sensational...explosive"
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