The family of Pankaj Maldar, a partner at Karp Impex NV, was held at gun point at their Antwerp residence by a gang demanding stock from the company’s office. The gang came with full knowledge of Karp Impex’s inventory and ordered that Maldar fetch the diamonds from the office, while they held the family hostage at their home.
Reports indicate that the robbers made away with diamonds valued up to $10 million after the 18 hour ordeal.
Confirming the incident, Vasant Mehta, chairman of India’s Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Centre (GJEPC), told Rapaport News that while Antwerp has been privy to thefts in the past, this was the first such incident of such a large scale. “Antwerp used to be a safe place to do business but this should serve as a wakeup call for the city,” Mehta said. He added that the robbery was not aimed specifically at an Indian company adding that “it could have been anyone.”
Karp Impex is a Diamond Trading Company (DTC) sightholder headquartered in Mumbai, India. The company also has offices in Antwerp, Hong Kong, Surat, Geneva, and Dubai.
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