Along with winning the lottery, robbing a bank is a time-honored method used by people who dream of never working again.
Of course, this is a very extreme way. And he is only successful until you get caught. However, an indisputable fact: among the bank robbers there were very smart (or very lucky) people who managed to embezzle millions of dollars.
We will tell you about the 10 most high-profile bank robberies in history. The amount stolen is indicated at the current rate.
10. Robbery of the State Bank of the Armenian SSR (1977)
Stolen: 1.5 million rubles
Nowadays, the amount of one and a half million rubles does not look like something astronomical. However, in the days of the USSR, it was money that even a major official, and not just an ordinary Russian, could not dream of. For comparison: the status car GAZ-24-10 "Volga" at that time could be bought for 12,000 rubles.
The robbery of the State Bank of the Armenian SSR became not only the largest in the Soviet Union, but also unique in its execution. It was made by two cousins Kalachyan - Nikolai and Felix. And the gunner was Nikolai's friend Zaven Baghdasaryan, who was a member of the commission that visited the bank's vault to count bills.
On August 5, 1977, Felix Kalachyan, who was a candidate for master of sports in artistic gymnastics, climbed onto the roof of a residential building that had a common wall with the State Bank. And then he jumped into the open window of the bank room, which was on the third floor, one floor above the vault. Using an umbrella, a hacksaw, a chisel, a crowbar, a hammer, and victorious drills, he made a 34-centimeter hole in the floor. And he managed to first crawl through it for money, and then get out back with a backpack full of money.
The accomplices managed to spend one hundred thousand rubles before they got caught on the sale of a batch consisting of 100-ruble bills. The Kalachyan brothers were sentenced to death, and the stolen money was returned to the state. Baghdasaryan was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
9. Robbery of the Agricultural Bank of China (2007)
Stolen: 51 million yuan (476 million rubles)
It is the largest and most famous bank robbery in Chinese history. It was committed by an employee of the Agricultural Bank of China, Ren Xiaofeng, who initially stole 200,000 yuan to buy lottery tickets with them. As planned by Xiaofeng, he should have won enough money to cover the damage to the bank and still win. And you will probably be surprised, but this plan worked!
Encouraged by the success, Xiaofeng and his accomplice Ma Xiangjing took out from the vault the amount that was enough for them to buy lottery tickets for the rest of their lives. Literally. Because when the bank's management noticed the loss of money, both managers were tried and executed.
8. Bank robbery in California, USA (1972)
Stolen: $ 30 million (RUB 1.9 billion)
In 1972, Amile Dincio gathered a gang of six robbers and went with them to the California city of Laguna Nigel.There, the criminals were planning a robbery of the United California Bank, in which (according to erroneous information) President Richard Nixon kept a multimillion-dollar loan fund.
The gang infiltrated the vault with dynamite, punching a hole in its reinforced concrete roof. And she stole money and valuables worth $ 30 million.
While the theft itself was flawlessly done, Dinsio's gang made the mistake of committing a similar crime in Ohio a few months later. The FBI linked the two thefts, and a study of transport records revealed that all of the criminals went to California on the same flight using their own names.
FBI agents also learned about the townhouse, which was used as a headquarters by the bandits. Their fingerprints were found there. In the end, all the criminals were caught, and most of the loot was returned.
7. The Brinks Robbery, England (1983)
Stolen: £ 26 million (RUB 2.1 billion)
This famous bank robbery took place on the premises of a joint venture between security firm Brink’s and the transport company Mat, which transported valuable goods.
In November 1983, a Brink's-Mat security guard named Anthony Black (son-in-law of one of the criminals) let robbers into the company's warehouse at London Heathrow Airport. They tied up other guards, doused them with gasoline and threatened to burn them if they did not gain access to the vault.
The criminals quickly realized that the warehouse held not only money, but also gold (6,800 gold bars) and rough diamonds. They carried the loot into the truck and wished the guards a Merry Christmas as they left. Most of the robbers were caught, but the gold has not yet been found.
6. Robbery of Northern Bank, Ireland (2004)
Stolen: £ 26.5 million (RUB 2.18 billion)
The week before Christmas 2004, robbers in Belfast, Northern Ireland, dressed as police officers and broke into the homes of a Northern Bank manager and director. They took their families hostage, and the bank employees themselves were ordered to go to work the next day, as if nothing had happened.
When the working day ended, the bankers let the thieves into the bank, where they stole about £ 26.5 million.
The case was the largest bank robbery in Irish history, and the case is still unsolved. So far, only one person has been arrested for laundering stolen money.
5. Robbery of the Central Bank of Brazil (2005)
Stolen: R $ 160 million (RUB 2.5 billion)
This 2005 crime, committed in Fortaleza, Brazil, was once recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the greatest bank robbery in the world.
And it is interesting not only for the astronomical stolen amount, but also for the scale of preparation. The criminals rented a commercial property in the city center and, posing as landscape designers, spent three months digging a 200-meter tunnel. It was at a depth of 4 meters underground and led to the bank vault.
Until now, most of the stolen money has not been returned.
4. Robbery of a Securitas vault, England (2006)
Stolen: £ 53 million (RUB 4.3 billion)
The largest robbery in 21st century UK history took place in 2006 at a cash collection company warehouse in Kent.
People wearing elaborate masks have kidnapped Colin Dixon, the Securitas branch director, and took his family hostage. The robbers took him to the warehouse and forced him to give them access to the warehouse.
The hijackers could take much more, but all the cash just didn't fit into the truck. Therefore, 153 million pounds remained in storage.
Despite their clever disguises, some of the robbers were caught, and the makeup artist who created the masks became a key witness in the case.
3. Robbery of the Knightsbridge Depository Center, England (1987)
Stolen: between 30 and 60 million pounds sterling (4.9 billion rubles)
Italian criminal Valerio Viccei committed one of the most extravagant bank robberies of his time.
In 1987, he and his assistant entered London's Knightsbridge bank, used by many famous and wealthy people, and asked to rent a safe.When they were escorted to the vault, the criminals pulled out their weapons and tied up the bank manager and the guards.
Placing a sign that read "closed" on the bank's door, Viccei let in several of his accomplices. The bandits broke into as many deposit boxes as possible and fled, taking the loot. It is still unknown how much money they took that day.
Viccei fled to South America, but eventually returned to England, where a brand new Ferrari and possibly no new handcuffs were waiting for him.
2. Robbery of Dar Es Salaam Bank, Iraq (2007)
Stolen: $ 282 million (RUB 18 billion)
To this day, little is known about the 2007 robbery at the Dar es Salaam Bank, a private financial institution in Baghdad. It is unclear why the bank had so much American cash.
The theft was allegedly organized by several bank guards. The government suspected that the robbers also had contacts with the local police and security forces, allowing them to pass unnoticed through many of the checkpoints in Baghdad.
So far, there is no further information about the whereabouts of the money or the culprits.
1. Robbery of the Central Bank of Iraq (2003)
Stolen: more than $ 920 million (59 billion rubles)
Neither before nor after 2003 did the banking world know of such a massive robbery as in Iraq. And its leader was none other than the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
The day before the 2003 war in Iraq, he shipped three large trucks to the Central Bank. He also gave his son Kusai a note asking him to withdraw almost $ 1 billion so that they do not fall into the hands of the enemy. The money was loaded into vans and taken away.
Most of the money (about $ 650 million) was found in Hussein's palace. American soldiers, tasked with counting the booty, did not resist the temptation and embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars. 35 of them were servicemen. And how much Hussein's money is still being spent is unknown.