If you’re someone who enjoyed bingeing the entire season of Money Heist and the robbery got you spooked by the level of risk involved and losses incurred, then read this through to know some of the lesser known facts about planned heists pulled off by organized groups around the world. Here’s a list of top 10 bank robberies siphoning huge sums of money from the target banks.
1. Dunbar Bank Robbery, USA
In 1977, a group of six men managed to break through the safe of the Dunbar bank, looting $18.9 million. Allen pace- the main lead, along with his five childhood friends broke open the vault, stole cash and valuables and rushed off the bank. However, they were tracked down due to a transaction made through original cash straps.
2. President fund California Bank Heist
In 1972, Amil Dinso a former criminal from Ohio and six other robbers from California came together and pilfered money from President Richard Nixon’s multi-million slush fund. They diffused the vault through dynamites and stole cash and valuables worth $30 million. Although, the taxi driver who drove the robbers to the bank identified them and fingerprints retrieved also proved their presence.
3. Middle East’s British bank robbery
In 1976, amidst the fierce civil wars in Lebanon, a group of robbers burst through the walls of a Catholic Church using explosives, tunneling their way into the British bank of Middle East. They pitched in professional locksmiths to dismantle the locks and swept cash, gold, jewels and stocks worth $44.5 million. The robbers remain uncaught till date with no recoveries of losses were ever made.
04. Northern Ireland Bank Robbery
In 2004, a group of thugs dressed as police officers secretly attacked a bank in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They held families of the two bank mangers hostage to the entire staged heist and forced them to help them steal 26.5 million British pounds. Only one of the perpetrators was caught under charges for money laundering, in the biggest Irish Bank Robbery ever.
05. Brink’s Mat- Britain’s most notorious Heist
In 1983, Brink’s Mat British Bank was infiltrated by a group of muggers with the help of bank’s security guard, Anthony Black. He let them into the Company’s warehouse at London’s Heathrow Airport, where they managed to secure gold bars and cash worth $41 million. Most robbers were caught, but the gold remains untraced till date.
6. Brazilian Banco Central Burglary
Recorded as World’s biggest bank heist in the Guinness World book of Records in 2004, this 25 member robbery was carried out through a 256 feet tunnel opening at the floor right above the security vault. The thieves looted cash worth 160 million Brazilian dollars. 8 of them were arrested, while only 20 million was recovered out of the huge standing figure.
7. Securitas British Robbery, Kent
This British robbery took place in 2006 at the Securitas depot – company’s warehouse in Kent. The manager was held against his will and coerced to compromise access to the security vault of the bank, loosing $83 million to the thieves.
8. Knightsbridge Bank Robbery, London
Valerio Viccei- a wanted criminal for 50 armed robberies and larceny charges propelled the Knightsbridge heist worth $91 million in the broad daylight. He and his alleged assistant, gunned down guards and bank managers, compelling them to lead the two to the safety deposits. He was later arrested during an ongoing probe.
9. Dar ES Salaam Heist, Iraq
Second in the list is the heist happened in Baghdad, Iraq in 2007. Robbers had internal contacts, with the local police and military personnel, making it easier for the gang to compromise the facility. This was a secret uptight heist and information about it remains hidden from the public eye.
10. Saddam Hussein and the Bank of Iraq
First on the list remains the Central Bank heist of Iraq, claimed by the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. 3 large military trucks were sent, along with a handwritten note asking the bank to withdraw $1 billion for his son Qusay Hussain. During the investigation, many American soldiers reportedly made personal financial benefits, 35 of them were caught for illicitly loading money recovered from raiding.
What’s more baffling is the fact that most of these heists go untraceable, assets remain scattered across the market and robbers are hardly convicted. Deposits worth billions are lost every year depleting economic resources of countries as a whole!
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