The best security in the world can’t stop someone when they want something bad enough. Here’s a list of the 5 biggest robberies where people exploited the weak links in security systems.
Hatton Garden Jewellery Robbery
In 2015, seven men led by Terry Perkins broke into a Hatton Garden security deposit vault and stole £14 million of gems, cash and gold. Perkins’ group, nicknamed the “Diamond Wheezers” used an elevator shaft to get close to the underground strong room, then drilled through half a metre of concrete into the vault.
Although the Diamond Wheezers were caught and imprisoned, almost none of their haul has ever been recovered.
Boston Museum Heist
Two men disguised as policeman were admitted to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston when they were reportedly responding to a disturbance call. They overcame the guards and made off with 13 works of art estimated around half a billion dollars.
No one was ever arrested and none of the pieces, including a Rembrandt, several Degas drawings and a Vermeers has ever been recovered. It is the most valuable theft of private property ever, and the frames of the stolen artworks still hang empty in the museum.
Russian Hackers
In three years, a ring of Russian computer hackers were able to steal an estimated $1 billion from global bank accounts by using malware and phishing to hack into banks’ systems.
They reportedly studied the operations and routines of the banks, watching through webcams and CCTV systems, before transferring money though fake accounts. The gang targeted 100 banks in 30 countries and remains at large to this day.
Leviev Jewellery House Heist
A lone gunman, wearing a baseball cap with his face hidden by a bandana, entered the Carlton Hotel in Cannes where the Leviev Jewellery house was holding an exhibition entitled “Extraordinary Diamonds.” He was able to escape with a briefcase containing jewels and watches encrusted with diamonds worth $57 million.
Saddam Hussein
The largest single bank heist of all time was committed on behalf of Saddam Hussein. Hussein sent one of his sons to the Central Bank of Iraq with a handwritten note to withdraw all the cash in the bank. Around $1 billion dollars in $100 dollar notes in strongboxes were removed in three lorries.
Approximately $650 million was found later by US troops hidden in the walls of one of Saddam’s palaces. More than one third of the money was never recovered.
Here at Gronbek Security Locksmiths Perth, we strive to stop the gaps in your security systems and ensure that you and your belongings are as well protected as they can be. Call us today on (08) 9433 3311 or send an online enquiry to book a free security assessment for your home, so you don’t end up on a list like this.
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