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Millennium Dome raid or The Diamond Heist was an attempted heist, which was intended to raid Millennium Dome's diamond exhibition on November 7, 2000. The De Beers exhibition displayed numerous gems, which included the Millennium Star, worth £200 million at that time.
The Millennium Dome raid failed when the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad, led by Jon Shatford, arrested all the suspects with help from Kent Police. According to The Telegraph, seven gang members were found guilty and sentenced to a total of 80 years in prison. Netflix released a docuseries about the heist, The Diamond Heist, on April 16, 2025.
What happened before the Millennium Dome raid
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As reported by the Metropolitan Police, the story of the Millennium Dome raid started during the summer of 2000. The Flying Squad, led by Jon Shatford, received intel about the possibility of a robbery plan.
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The squad members tracked down some potential suspects, but were unaware of the location where the robbery was supposed to take place. Over the next few months, they formed a team, which was dedicated to finding the areas that were most likely to be the center for the Millennium Dome raid.
As reported by the Metropolitan Police, they found the Millennium Dome, in Greenwich, South East England, to be the center for the Millennium Dome raid. An operation was eventually set up to stop the robbery, which was named Operation Magician.
As reported by BBC News, during February 2000, men with guns stopped a security van at Nine Elms Lane, in South London. A huge lorry carrying Christmas Trees was used as a way to block the passage.
The raid reportedly failed when a motorist turned off the lorry’s ignition, disrupting the plan. The suspects escaped by speedboat, heading toward Chelsea in South England.
Later, on July 7, 2000, the gang attempted another raid, targeting a truck carrying £8.3 million to a Kent security depot. But after hearing police sirens, they fled the scene.
The Flying Squad, led by Jon Shatford, received intelligence from Kent Police about the Millennium Dome raid. As reported by the Museums Association, the gems in the De Beers exhibit were replaced with replicas as a method of precaution.
What happened during the Millennium Dome raid
As reported by the Metropolitan Police, on the morning of November 7, 2000, a total of 200 officers were posted in the Millennium Dome. Led by Detective Superintendent Jon Shatford, sixty Flying Squad officers were stationed around the Thames, while another twenty were on the river to prevent the speedboat from escaping.
Reportedly, another 40 commanders from the Specialist Firearms Command of the Metropolitan Police Service were posted in the Millennium Dome. Officers went undercover as employees from the Millennium Dome.
As reported by the BBC, four gang members entered the premises. A man named Aldo Ciarrocchi started throwing bombs of smoke, while another man named William Cockram tried to break the glass where the diamonds were on display. Another man named Robert Adams used a sledgehammer to create cracks on the bulletproof glass, as reported by The Standard.
As reported by the BBC, four men were arrested including Lee Wenham, were arrested at the Dome. One of the gang members was caught in the Thames, on a high-powered speedboat. Additionally, another man was arrested on suspicion of monitoring radio frequencies and helping the gang members.
What happened after the Millennium Dome raid
As reported the The Independent, it was on November 8, 2001, when the trial for the Millennium Dome raid culprits began. All the perpetrators involved in the crime included Lee Wenham, Raymond Betson, Terry Millman, William Cockram, Robert Adams, Aldo Ciarrocchi, James Hurley, and Kevin Meredith.
As reported by The Mirror, Terry Milkman died of stomach cancer before the trial. Lee Wenham, who is the subject of Netflix's docuseries The Diamond Heist, received 9 years' imprisonment. Robert Adams received 15 years' imprisonment and died in prison.
The sentence for Raymond Betson was initially 18 years, which was reduced to 15 years in prison. In 2012, he was caught in another attempted heist. He was again sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment in 2014.
Aldo Ciarrocchi was sentenced to 15 years, which was reduced to 13 years behind bars. William Cockram was initially sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment. After an appeal, it was reduced to 15 years behind bars. Kevin Meredith, who was stationed in the speedboat on the Thames River, was sentenced to five years in prison.
Check out our other articles to learn more details about Netflix's The Diamond Heist.
