Netflix unveiled its latest true crime docuseries The Diamond Heist this week, executive produced by filmmaker Guy Ritchie. The three-part series chronicles one of the most audacious robbery attempts in modern British history.
The documentary details how a crew of southeast London criminals plotted to steal the Millennium Star — a 203-carat diamond valued at £350 million — from the newly opened Millennium Dome in 2000.
Emmy and Oscar-winning production company Lightbox crafted the series, which follows the criminals’ elaborate plan to ram the Dome with a JCB bulldozer in daylight, smash the high-security exhibit, and escape via speedboat down the Thames.
The Flying Squad, London’s elite armed robbery unit, had been monitoring the gang for months before the attempted heist.
As the suspects attacked the supposedly bulletproof glass with sledgehammers, undercover officers emerged from hidden positions throughout the exhibit. The diamond itself had already been replaced with a replica, foiling what could have been a historic theft.
The Diamond Heist features exclusive interviews and dramatic reconstructions that capture both the planning stages and the tense moments of the operation.
The series maintains Ritchie’s distinctive storytelling approach while documenting the personalities behind the crime and the meticulous police work that prevented it.
Critics have noted the documentary’s cinematic quality, with The Guardian comparing the real events to scenarios typically found in Ritchie’s fictional crime films.
The documentary is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
