Eight masked gunmen made a hole in a security fence at Brussels international airport, drove onto the tarmac and snatched some $50 million (Rs 270 crore) worth of diamonds from the hold of a Swiss-bound plane without firing a shot.

The gang used fake police cars in their daring raid late yesterday, grabbed the cache of stones and sped off into the darkness. “They tried to pass themselves off as police officers,” said Anja Bijnens, spokeswoman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office.