Robbers snatch gems using 'Snatch' script

NEW YORK, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- The daylight heist in which robbers dressed as Hasidic Jews relieved a New York Diamond District wholesaler of his jewels reads like a movie script.

And it was -- the New Year's Eve actual robbery re-enacted the opening scene from 2001's "Snatch," in which actor Benicio Del Toro led a crew of diamond thieves who disguised themselves as Hasidic Jews, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

Dressed in black coats and hats and sporting phony beards, the still-at-large robbers flashed fake IDs to a lobby security guard, took an elevator up to their quarry, were buzzed through two doors into the wholesaler before drawing their weapons, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

The robbers forced one person to empty the wholesaler's safe of all diamonds and jewels before tying him and another employing with duct tape, police said.

The robbery took less than five minutes.