Bank robberies are some of the most organized crimes today. This involves big theft attempts to rob banks of their huge chunks of money with threats, violence, and force. In many cases, robbers are arrested, but most of the time, money is never recovered, and some even manage to disappear into thin air after robbing a bank. Bank robberies have always been million-dollar crimes. Some historic bank robberies have been the hottest topic in many newspapers and news channels for many years. And as we all know, how much the world loved the new Spanish Netflix series on the bank robbery “La Casa de Papal” or the Money Heist. Check out some of the most famous bank robberies in history.
Top 10 biggest bank robberies in history
Brink’s MAT Robbery
The Brink’s MAT robbery was planned by six robbers on November 26, 1983, at the Heathrow International Trading Estate, London. The robbers and launderers included “Mad” Micky McAvoy, Brian “The Colonel,” Kenneth Noye, along with Brian Reader. The gang was arrested, but the tons of gold and diamonds were never recovered. The security guard, Anthony Black, confessed to being the accomplice, helping the robbers gain entrance to the bank, which helped in catching the masterminds behind this robbery while the other guards were tied up. It was suspected that the gold robbed consisted of 6,800 bars loaded in 76 boxes, which makes it a robbery of around $41 million. This was the biggest robbery in British criminal history. Eventually, they were found and jailed for 25 years.
Banco Central Burglary
The Banco Central Bank was robbed on August 6, 2005, in Fortaleza, Brazil. The gang dug up a 256-ft tunnel, which ended directly below the Banco Central bank, and they disabled all the security alarms and sensors in the bank. This took them almost three months, and robbers stole about $94 million while only $9 million was recovered in the recovery efforts. Only eight members were arrested, and the declared criminal, Luis Fernando Ribeiro, was murdered in 2005. Guinness Book of World Records listed this as the world’s biggest bank robbery in history. In 2006, the police discovered six kidnappings related to this robbery.
British Bank of the Middle East’s Robbery
Another unforgettable robbery happened in January 1976, in Beirut, Lebanon. The group used explosives to burst out a church’s walls to get into the bank and a trained locksmith to crack into the bank’s vault and walk off with their content. The robbers stole $20-$50 million with cash, jewels, stocks, gold bars, and other valuables. The robbers. The robbers used brute force to burst into the bank.
Securitas Depot Robbery
It began with kidnapping on February 21, 2006, in a security services company’s warehouse in Kent. This robbery is the largest cash robbery in British history. The branch manager was kidnapped. The gang stole about $83 million. Some of the robbers were immediately caught. The robbery was led by Lee Murray, who was once one of the best cage fighters. The gang completed the robbery within two hours.
Northern Bank Robbery
In 2004, an armed gang looted the Northen Bank, Northern Ireland, successfully. The robbery of more than $28.8 million from the Northern Bank’s headquarters is still one of the biggest robberies in history. The criminals made off with about $39 million. The ring leaders have never been found, but only $2.6 could be recovered. Eventually, the managers let the robbers into the bank, where they looted about $26.5 million. So far, just one person has been arrested for concealment.
Central Bank of Iraq Robbery
Over $920 million was stolen from a Central Bank in Baghdad, Iraq. The mastermind behind another historic bank robbery was Iraq’s dictator, Saddam Hussein, who made his son steal $1 billion from the Central bank of Iraq. The stolen money was jammed in vans and driven away. Most of the cash was recovered. Thirty-five members were arrested. Eight months later, U.S. troops discovered the cash in one of Saddam’s palaces and handed it out to American military commanders.
Dar Es Salaam Bank Robbery
The Dar Es Salaam bank in Baghdad was looted in which a huge amount of about $300 million was robbed in 2007. Neither the culprits nor the money was ever found. A few bank guards preplanned the theft. The inspectors suspected that the robbers had contacts within local police to gain entrance through many checkpoints across Baghdad undetected.
The United California Bank Heist
Amil Dinsio was a professional and a sharp criminal from Ohio. He formed a crew of six members for the notorious robbery of the United California Bank, Laguna Niguel, Calif. The gang stole $30 million worth of cash and valuables from the bank. Dionisio was the mastermind of the operation. He was arrested in 1980 and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The cops found the fingerprints of robbers on the inside of the town home’s dishwasher.
The Knightsbridge Vault Robbery
Valerio Vicci committed the Knightsbridge Vault robbery in London in 1987. He was already wanted for more than 50 armed robberies in Italy. He and an assistant spirited away with millions of cash and valuables. He flew away to South America but was eventually arrested from England. This is the third-largest bank robbery in history. Vicci was responsible for the first successful raid on Queen’s bank, Coutts. His crime life ended on the day of release from prison on the streets of Italy.
Dunbar Armored Robbery
The Dunbar Armored robbery took place in Los Angeles in 1997. Dunbar Armored Co. employee was fired for damaging the company’s vehicles. It was one of the biggest cash heists in US history. The leader, Allen Pace, who was one of the worst “security inspectors and six members stole $18.9 million from the bank. Two guards were badly assaulted. The police detectives recovered $5 million worth of the loot. After being caught, Pace denied the planning of the robbery or taking part in it. The gang made away with money and laundered it through legal businesses.
