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Antwerp Diamond Industry Increasing Security.
Antwerp's Diamond Community and the Belgian Government are joining forces to significantly increase security in their Diamond District amid increasing threats and fears of terrorist activities.
Belgium's Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, along with other key officials have signed a Declaration of Intent at HRD headquarters in Antwerp, Belgium, to boost security measures. The urgency for tight security at Antwerp's diamond quarter follows specific threats made against the diamond trade and the real potential of terrorism.
Local crime is high and needs to be addressed. In 2003, a robbery took place in the vaults of the Antwerp Diamond Center, and robbers made off with $127 million of merchandise.
According to Hubert Appelen, head of HRD's Diamond Office an
Logistics Department, which also is responsible for the diamond quarter's security system. "The 2003 robbery only underlined the urgent need for a new, more effective security program for the Antwerp Diamond Community".
New security measures which include restricted access from the neighboring shopping malls and state of the art security cameras will be implemented.
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