LOOKBACK
The Dome gang — led by veteran
armed robber Lee Wenham and including career criminals from across south-east England — had already attempted high-stakes heists. Intelligence began to filter through in early 2000 that a group was planning something on an unprecedented scale. The Flying Squad, a
specialist unit with a proud history of tackling armed robbery and serious organised crime, began a painstaking operation. Surveillance teams tracked the suspects as they scoped potential targets,
when and how the criminals might try to flee by water. By October 2000, it was clear that the Millennium Dome was the chosen target. The Dome — then a symbol of Britain’s new millennium celebrations — had already attracted millions of visitors. At its heart, the De Beers diamond
“Wearing gas masks and carrying nail guns, the criminals smashed through the doors, expecting easy access to the treasure.”
including security vans, jewellers, and finally the Millennium Dome. Detectives quickly realised the enormity of the plot. “If they succeeded,” one officer recalled at the time, “it would have been the biggest robbery in the world. We couldn’t allow that to happen.” Weeks of covert monitoring revealed
the gang’s methods: stolen vehicles, weapons caches, and a planned river escape route. Every detail was logged, every movement analysed. Officers even studied tide tables to understand
exhibition drew attention from across the world. For the Flying Squad, the risks were enormous. Public safety had to come first: if the gang stormed the Dome while visitors were inside, the potential for violence was immense. The operation was designed to intercept the robbers at the critical moment — after they committed to the attack but before they could reach the diamonds. On the morning of 7 November, the
team moved into place. Armed officers disguised as cleaners and staff waited
inside the Dome. Others concealed themselves in service corridors, exhibition rooms, and nearby vehicles. Along the riverbank, marine units lay in wait to block any escape attempt. Just after 10am, the gang made their move. A stolen JCB digger roared through the perimeter fence, ploughing straight towards the Dome’s side wall. Inside the exhibition, visitors had been carefully diverted to other parts of the building. The diamonds themselves had been replaced with replicas. Wearing gas masks and carrying nail guns, the
criminals smashed through the doors, expecting easy access to the treasure. Instead, they were met with a wall of armed officers who had been waiting for this exact moment.
Within seconds, the gang was overpowered. Smoke grenades meant for the robbery mixed with the shouts of officers as suspects were wrestled to the ground. Outside, the gang’s planned speedboat getaway was cut off by police launches. There was no way out. The entire operation lasted minutes. The largest diamond heist in history had
23 | POLICE | OCTOBER | 2025
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