The robbers stole around $1 billion from the Central Bank of Iraq during the chaos that followed the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The thieves, who were believed to be a group of well-connected Iraqis, made off with the money in the days after Baghdad fell to US forces. The money was said to be in U.S. dollars and was stored in the Central Bank’s vaults. Despite the efforts of the US-led coalition and the Iraqi government, the vast majority of the stolen money has never been recovered. Another notable robbery is the British Bank of the Middle East heist in 1976, in which $20 million were stolen. The culprits were never caught.
Another notable robbery is the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company heist in London, which took place in April 2015. A group of burglars stole an estimated £200 million ($253 million) worth of jewelry and cash from safety deposit boxes in the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company. The robbers, who were mostly elderly, used a drill to break into the vault and then spent hours looting the safety deposit boxes. Despite the large amount stolen, only a small portion of the loot has been recovered and only some of the participants were caught and convicted.
Another one is the Securitas depot robbery in Tonbridge, Kent, England in 2006. A group of robbers stole £53 million ($68 million) in cash, making it the largest cash robbery in British history. The robbers used violence and threats to tie up and kidnap the depot manager, his wife and their child, and then forced him to open the security deposit. Most of the robbers were caught and convicted, however, much of the stolen money has never been recovered.
In the United States, one of the biggest robberies was the Loomis Fargo robbery in 1997, in which $17.3 million was stolen by an inside job. The criminals were caught and convicted, but only a small portion of the money was recovered.
Another notable robbery is the Banco Central Burglary in Fortaleza, Brazil in 2005. A group of criminals dug a tunnel to reach the vault of the Central Bank’s branch in Fortaleza, Brazil, and stole approximately $70 million in cash and securities. The robbers spent months planning the heist and used advanced technology and equipment to dig the tunnel and break into the vault. The police were able to recover a significant portion of the stolen money and many of the participants were caught and convicted.
In Europe, one of the biggest robbery is the “Pink Panther” case, a series of daring heists, the group have been linked to over 100 burglaries, in which they have stolen jewels and watches worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The group operates internationally and is known for its audacity and its use of violence. Despite their name, the group is not thought to be a single entity, but rather a loosely-connected network of criminals.
In Asia, one of the biggest robbery is the 2007 Taiwan bank robbery, in which $97 million was stolen from a branch of the First Commercial Bank in Taiwan. The robbers were able to bypass the bank’s security system and stole the money from the vault without being detected. The police were able to recover a significant portion of the stolen money and many of the participants were caught and convicted.