Exploring the Most EXTENSIVE robberies in the annals of British crime, these five notorious incidents, ranging from Brink's-Mat to the Great Train Robbery, represent the pinnacle of audacious criminal exploits in the nation's history.
To kick things off, let's dive into the world of crime and scandal by listening to two exciting new podcasts - "The Dirty Game: Kim K's Jewel Heist" and "The Diamond Chaser: The Tamara Ecclestone Case." Get ready to explore the five most mind-blowing heists in British history.
First up, the Mail's popular "The Trail" podcast will take you inside the Paris trial of the aged gang accused of snatching Kim Kardashian's jewels. Dubbed the 'old timer' gang by French media, join acclaimed crime journalist Caroline Cheetham and reporter Nick Fagge as they bring you daily updates from the courtroom.
In a separate series, "Heists, Cons and Lies," you'll join Mail reporters George Odling and Andy Jehring on a wild adventure across Europe, tracking socialite Tamara Ecclestone's £25 million in stolen diamonds.
So, hop on the bandwagon and uncover these jaw-dropping stories, available on your favorite podcast platforms.
"The Dirty Game: Kim K's Jewel Heist" is live now, wherever podcasts are served. limb on to "Heists, Cons and Lies: The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Diamonds" by hitting the link below:
5) The Hatton Garden Heist, 2015
The booty: £14 million (approximately £18.5 million in today's money)
Over a four-day Easter weekend, six senior citizens exploited the chaos caused by electrical labels catching fire and broke into a safe deposit facility in London's Hatton Garden. The mayhem shut down offices and sent noxious fumes billowing from manhole covers. With businesses closed due to the holiday, the thieves sneaked in through an underground lift and made away with an embarrassment of riches.
The burglary went down thanks to sharp crooks with one of the ringleaders, Brain Reader, boasting ties to the 1983 Brink’s-Mat gold heist. They cracked the safes by drilling holes in the walls, with footage from hidden CCTV cameras capturing the culprits in action. The Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad used these images and tracking efforts to sell the loot to nab the perps.
4) The Great Train Robbery, 1963
The swag: £2.6 million (approximately £69 million in today's money)
The undisputed king of heists in British history, a team of fifteen robbers cleverly planned and executed the early-morning robbery of a Royal Mail train as it rolled from Glasgow to London. An insider at the Royal Mail dished out information to London's underworld, paving the way for the daring heist. By fiddling with the signaling system and taking down staff members, the crooks halted the train and made off with a record-breaking bounty.
Although a portion of the loot is still missing, the train robbers were eventually caught. Their downfall was inadvertent - a Monopoly board sealed their fate, as police discovered fingerprints on the game that separated the robbers and linked them to the heist.
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3) The Securitas Depot Robbery, 2006
The loot: £53 million (approximately £92 million in today's money)
Beginning with the abduction of a man and ending with the burglary of a depot in Tonbridge Wells, this theft would have topped the list if the robbers could have handled more than £53 million of the total £154 million available. The depot was a subcontracted holding facility for the Bank of England, and newly printed cash reserves were stored there before distribution.
The band with Albanian and English criminals infiltrated the depot by bribing an insider. On February 21, 2006, they kidnapped the depot's manager, Colin Dixon, and his entire family. Under threat of violence, Dixon was forced to open the doors to his place of work. Staff were then held captive while the thieves ransacked the place.
After locating bank notes in washing machines, garages, and the trunks of cars connected to the heist, the police were eventually able to track down and arrest the culprits. The case is remembered as the largest cash heist in history, leading to the depot's shutdown shortly after the arrests were made.
2) The Brink's-Mat Robbery, 1983
The haul: £26 million (approximately £102 million in today's money)
The Brink's-Mat Robbery saw £26 million of gold bullion and diamonds stolen from Heathrow airport, making it the second most famous heist in British history. Six robbers infiltrated the Brink's-Mat warehouse on Heathrow's International Trading Estate in London, coercing staff at gunpoint and threatening to set them alight if they didn't comply. To their surprise, the robbers found they had targeted gold bullion instead of banknotes.
Over three tons of gold were stolen, but today much remains unrecovered due to elaborate schemes devised to melt the gold and sell it as legitimate goods. Although the planning was meticulous, the theft was a stroke of luck. The thieves had no idea about the gold being stored at the facility.
After the kidnapping, a massive manhunt began, with the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad joining the chase to identify the perpetrators. Eventually, they pieced together the plot, leading to the arrests of the robbers. It took six years of sustained detective work to rid the streets of every last criminal involved.
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EXCLUSIVE - Uncovering the Truth behind Tamara Ecclestone's Shocking Heist: New Mail Podcast
1) The Knightsbridge Deposit Robbery, 1987
The raided jackpot: £60 million (approximately £187 million in today's money)
Under the leadership of Valerio Viccei, an Italian immigrant and prolific thief, the 1987 robbery of a Knightsbridge bank in London remains unsolved until this day - if it weren't for the sale of a luxury sports car. Viccei ensnared the bank manager in a web of drug debt to the point where the victim willingly supplied information to orchestrate the burglary.
On 12 July 1987, Viccei and his gang held up the bank at gunpoint, hanging a "Closed" sign outside to fool passersby while they ransacked the place. Viccei, the leader, escaped to South America but returned to London to fetch his Ferrari sports car, ultimately leading to his arrest when forensic investigators found a bloody fingerprint on the scene.
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- The world of crime and justice is rich with intriguing stories, as evidenced by the new podcasts "The Dirty Game: Kim K's Jewel Heist" and "Heists, Cons and Lies: The Hunt for Tamara Ecclestone's Diamonds."
2.Podcasts like "The Trial" and "The Crime Desk" delve into notable British heists, such as the Knightsbridge Deposit Robbery in 1987, which remains unsolved but for the sale of a luxury sports car.
3.This heist, led by Valerio Viccei, succeeded due to a web of drug debt that ensnared the bank manager, who willingly supplied information to orchestrate the burglary.
4.In a separate series, "Heists, Cons and Lies" takes listeners on a European adventure, tracking socialite Tamara Ecclestone's stolen diamonds.
5.Another renowned heist, the Hatton Garden Heist in 2015, saw six senior citizens make off with £14 million (approximately £18.5 million in today's money) by exploiting a fire and breaking into a safe deposit facility in London.
- The Great Train Robbery of 1963, often considered the undisputed king of heists in British history, saw a team of fifteen robbers make off with £2.6 million (approximately £69 million in today's money), thanks to an insider at the Royal Mail and a fiddled signaling system.
