ROBBERS held an Indian diamond merchant hostage for 18 hours in Belgium before freeing him in return for millions of euros’ worth of gems, the Belga news agency reported yesterday.

The attack took place at the merchant’s home in the northern city of Antwerp, which is one of the world’s most important diamond-trading centres.

Freddy Hanard, the head of the Antwerp World Diamond Center, which represents Brussels diamond sector, said the gang made off with “several million euros” (dollars) worth of diamonds.

A spokesman for Ludo Van Campenhout, who is in charge of Antwerp’s diamond quarter, criticised the attack but said security measures in the area were adequate.

“Attacks on diamond merchants are virtually non-existent in Antwerp. If attacks happen, they are at people’s homes,” spokesman Paul De Wit told Belga.

“In those cases it is the individuals’ own security measures that are lacking and as a city there is little we can do about that, unfortunately.”