Millennium Dome Diamond Heist
On 7th November 2000, a gang of experienced criminals attempted to steal £350 million worth of diamonds from the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, London in what could have been the biggest diamond heist in history. Armed with a JCB digger, sledgehammers, smoke grenades, and a nail gun, they smashed their way into the De Beers diamond exhibition—only to be caught in a meticulously planned police sting, Operation Magician.
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Key Details
Perpetrators:
Raymond Betson (39) – The mastermind behind the heist, an experienced career criminal.
William Cockram (47) – Betson’s right-hand man, with a history of high-stakes robberies.
Terry Millman (55) – A veteran South London gangster, known for fraud and logistics (died in 2001 before trial).
Lee Wenham (32) – The gang’s logistics expert, providing rural hideouts for planning.
Daniel Reece (Late 30s/Early 40s) – The gang’s strategist, overseeing planning and timing.
Aldo Ciorciari (31) – The gang’s enforcer, specialising in smash-and-grab tactics.
Kevin Meredith (Late 30s/Early 40s) – The getaway speedboat driver.
Robert Adams (56) – Found inside the vault attempting to breach the diamond cases.
Offence: Attempted robbery of £350 million worth of diamonds.
Location: Millennium Dome, Greenwich, London.
Date: 7th November 2000.
Key Facts
Background & Planning
The Millennium Dome was home to a De Beers diamond exhibition, featuring the 203-carat Millennium Star and 11 rare blue diamonds.
The diamonds were displayed inside a high-security vault with armoured glass, CCTV, motion detectors, and security guards.
The gang had previously attempted two high-value heists, both of which failed:
Nine Elms (February 2000) – Tried to rob a £10M Securicor van but lost the keys to their lorry-mounted spike and had to abandon the job.
Aylesford (July 2000) – Tried to rob another Securicor van (£9M) using the same tactics, but police intervened, leading to gunfire and a chaotic escape.
Clues left behind in these failed attempts (including forensic evidence, counterfeit tax discs, and the words "GERTI Mk II persistent, aren’t we?" painted on a lorry) helped police identify them.
The Police Operation
The Flying Squad launched Operation Magician, a covert police sting to track and intercept the gang.
The real diamonds were swapped for fakes before the heist.
Surveillance was increased at Tong Farm (owned by Wenham), which was being used as a staging ground for the robbery.
Over 200 police officers were deployed, including armed SO19 units hidden inside a 100m-long service tunnel.
The Heist
At 8:30 am on 7th November 2000, the gang smashed through the Dome’s perimeter fencing and steel doors using a JCB digger.
They deployed smoke grenades and ammonia to create chaos and obscure CCTV.
Cockram and Adams entered the vault and used a Hilti DX450 nail gun and sledgehammers to break the armoured glass protecting the diamonds.
As soon as the glass began to fracture, police stormed the scene, executing the ambush perfectly.
The Arrests
Cockram and Adams were arrested inside the vault, caught in the act.
Betson was arrested outside the vault, attempting to feign innocence.
Meredith was intercepted on the Thames, as police boats surrounded the getaway speedboat.
Millman was caught on the north side of the Thames, posing as a road engineer.
The entire gang was captured within minutes, without a single shot fired.
Trial & Sentencing
The gang claimed there was an ‘inside man’ and a mysterious ‘Mr Big’, but these theories were dismissed in court.
Sentences handed down at the Old Bailey:
Betson & Cockram – 15 years each (originally 18).
Adams & Ciorciari – 15 years each.
Wenham – 9 years for his role in both the Dome heist and Aylesford raid.
Meredith – 5 years for driving the getaway boat.
Millman – Died in 2001 before trial.
Why this wouldn't hapen now
Security technology has drastically improved, including AI-powered surveillance, biometric security, and predictive policing.
Cybercrime has replaced traditional heists—today’s criminals are more likely to target financial institutions through hacking than break into physical vaults.
Law enforcement coordination is stronger, making it harder for organised crime to operate undetected.
High-value items like diamonds are now tracked digitally, making them harder to sell after theft.
Where are they now?
Raymond Betson: Re-arrested in 2014 for a failed Swanley depot ram raid; sentenced to 13 more years.
Cockram, Adams, Wenham, Reece, Ciorciari, Meredith: No confirmed criminal activity post-release; many have faded into anonymity.
The Millennium Dome has since been redeveloped as The O2 Arena, with no trace of its history as the site of one of Britain’s most infamous failed heists.