Skip navigation

Police seize van in probe of massive bank heist


< Prev | 1 | 2
Europe video  
World domino toppling record falls
Nov. 14: It took 2 months to set the nearly 4.5 million dominos that fell at the annual Domino Day event in the Netherlands. NBC’s Lester Holt reports.

Text alerts on msnbc.com

Breaking news alerts (about 1 per day)
Click here to sign up or text NEWS to MSNBC (67622).

Find more alerts at alerts.msnbc.com

  Your weather

Click to see the weather outlook for your destination

Cumbersome cash
The robbers will have a difficult time laundering or converting such a large amount of cash, said British expert Peter Lilley.

One option would be to take the cash to a country with looser monetary regulations where it could be put in offshore accounts or invested, he said. “Physical money possesses greater risk than electronic money or even gold,” Lilley said.

The depot, a single-floored, windowless building, is near the center of Tonbridge. It is surrounded by six-foot high steel fencing, and security cameras cover every entrance. Steel traps are in place to prevent unwanted vehicles from entering the compound. There are no signs to indicate the building stores large amounts of money.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

  Major bank heists around the world

1. $900 million in U.S. bills and as much as $100 million worth of euros — Iraq Central Bank, Iraq, March 2003. The thefts took place at the beginning of the U.S. invasion and were blamed on Saddam Hussein’s family.
2. $70 million — Central Bank in Fortaleza, Brazil. Theft occurred during weekend of Aug. 6-8, 2005.
3. $65 million — Knightsbridge Safe Deposit Center, London, July 12, 1987.
4. $50 million — Northern Bank, Belfast, Ireland; Dec. 20, 2004. Widely blamed on the Irish Republican Army.
5. $43.5 million — Securitas company cash center at Tonbridge in Kent county, England. The Bank of England said on Feb. 22, 2006, that the robbery occurred overnight.
6. $37.5 million in gold — Brinks Mat Ltd., Heathrow Airport, London, Nov. 25, 1983.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


< Prev | 1 | 2

Sponsored LinksGet listed here
Top Online Schools
Find the perfect online school and Boost your Career! Free Info Pack.
www.EarnMyDegree.com

Sponsored links

Resource guide