Karp Imex, an Indian diamond manufacturer with offices in Antwerp, got the surprise of his life last week when he was held hostage in one of the biggest robberies in Belgium. Pankaj Maldar, who works at the Antwerp Karp Imex office, was held hostage with his family in the robbery at gunpoint.

Vasant Mehta, the Chairman of India’s Gem & Jewelry Export Promotion Center commented, “Antwerp used to be a safe place to do business but this should serve as a wake-up call for the city.” Mehta also indicated that the robbery wasn’t directly aimed at the Indian company and that it could have happened to anyone. Indian diamond traders are increasingly uneasy after several diamond robberies in recent years.

The gang apparently knew the Karp Imex catalog very well and made demands that Paljar go get certain diamonds while his family was held hostage. They were held hostage for 18 hours while the thieves ended up getting away with $10 million in diamonds. Antwerp Police are now investigating the incident.