Top 10 Heists and Robberies
When it comes to the amount of sheer planning, creativity, and outright lunacy that goes into them, few crimes rival the high profile, multi-million dollar heist. And when you consider the colorful characters and criminal masterminds behind these robberies, it’s easy why these crimes continue to be the subject of constant speculation and fascination. Whether the work of teams of highly trained thieves, lowly bank managers, or even a powerful dictator, here are ten of the biggest and most bizarre heists and burglaries in history.
10. The Great Train Robbery
One of the most famed heists in popular culture, The Great Train Robbery was one of the biggest robberies of all time when it was committed in 1963. The heist took place in Buckinghamshire, England, when a mail train transporting millions of pounds was boarded by a team of 15 robbers. The thieves used a fake signal light to stop the train, and after subduing the workers inside the first two carriages, loaded 120 mail bags containing 2.6 million pounds into some cars they had hidden near the tracks. The men all escaped the scene, but 13 of them were quickly captured following an extensive investigation by Scotland Yard. Two of the these men, Ronnie Biggs and Charlie Wilson, would later escape from prison and flee the country. Wilson was caught four years later in Canada, but Biggs famously eluded capture by hiding out in Brazil, and he was only apprehended when he turned himself in to authorities in 2001.
9. The Agricultural Bank of China Robbery
2007’s Agricultural Bank of China Robbery resulted in the theft of 51 million yuan (roughly $7 million U.S.), and it is said to be the biggest robbery in China’s history. The scheme started when the bank’s manager, Ren Xiaofeng, stole 200,000 yuan from the vault. His unlikely plan was to use the money to buy massive amounts of lottery tickets in the hope of winning a cash prize and returning the money before it was reported missing. Amazingly, the plan worked, and Ren made a huge profit off of his gamble even after returning the 200K. After enlisting the help of another manager, Ma Xiangjing, Ren proceeded to steal nearly 33 million yuan a year or so later, and a month after that another 18 million. In both cases, the men spent nearly all the money on lottery tickets, but they were only able to recoup 98,000 yuan, and the missing money was quickly noticed and reported. Ren and Ma were eventually captured, but very little of the stolen money was ever recovered, thanks to the astronomical amounts the duo had spent on lotto tickets.
8. The Great Brinks Robbery
When it was committed in 1950, the $2.7 million Brinks Robbery in Boston, Mass. was the biggest heist in American history. Dubbed “the crime of the century,” the heist was the work of an 11-man gang who used copied keys to gain entry into the Brinks Building. Once inside, they made their way to a room where employees were counting money, and after subduing the armed guards, collected $1.2 million in cash, along with another $1.5 million in checks and securities. The gang’s plan had been to sit on the money for six years, at which point the statute of limitations for armed robbery would have run out, but a police investigation quickly started turning up suspects. After a few of the men were arrested, the criminals started turning on one another, even going so far as to hire hit men and attempt drive-by shootings on suspected snitches. Eventually, though, all eleven of the original robbers were found out and arrested, and many received life sentences in prison.
7. The Gardner Museum Art Heist
In the biggest art heist in history, two men dressed as police officers managed to con their way into the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston late one night in 1990. Once inside, the men overpowered the few guards on duty, tied them up, and left them in the basement. They then proceeded to steal several pieces of artwork by Rembrandt, Degas, Manet, and Vermeer, along with a few sculptures and historical artifacts. The total haul is now valued at $500 million, but both the thieves and the artwork have yet to be found. A number of possible suspects have been considered, from Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger to the IRA, but no arrests have been made in connection to the case. Enough time has passed that the statute of limitations on the actual heist has passed, leaving the Gardner Museum art heist as one of the most successful and mysterious robberies of all time.
6. The Central Bank Of Iraq Heist
For sheer amount of currency stolen, no robbery compares to the Central Bank Of Iraq heist, which is said to have been perpetrated by none other than Saddam Hussein. The robbery happened just before the U.S. bombing of Iraq in 2003. In the middle of the night, a small group of men led by Hussein’s son, Qusay, went to the Central Bank with tractor-trailers and forcibly withdrew just under 1 billion dollars cash. Nearly $650 million of this was eventually found stashed in the walls of Hussein’s palace by U.S. soldiers. A handwritten note was later discovered linking Saddam and his son to the heist, but just who the other men involved were or what became of the remaining $350 million remains a mystery.
5. The Baker Street Burglary
The Baker Street burglary took place in London in 1971, when a team of well-equipped thieves tunneled into the Baker Street Bank and stole 3 million pounds worth of cash and valuables from safety deposit boxes. The criminals used a combination of metal cutting tools and explosives to tunnel to the vault from a nearby shop, and even had a lookout positioned on a nearby rooftop. Near the end of the heist, a ham radio operator overheard some of the lookout’s radio transmissions and contacted the police, who frantically searched over seven hundred banks within the area in hopes of honing in on the location of the transmission. They were unable to catch the robbers at the time, but nearly two years later a number of men were charged in connection with the robbery, though police believe the true mastermind behind the crime was never captured.
4. The Harry Winston Heist
One of the most downright brazen robberies in recent memory, the Harry Winston Heist went down in 2008 when a group of four men stormed into one of Paris’s most exclusive jewelry stores and made off with $108 million in diamonds. The men were disguised as women and armed with a .357 Magnum and a hand grenade. They quickly herded the employees and customers into a corner and started breaking open display cases, and after filling a suitcase with precious stones, made their escape. No one from this robbery has been arrested, but police suspect that the robbers– whom they’ve nicknamed “The Pink Panthers”– are a part of a larger criminal organization of Yugoslavians that may have been responsible for a number of other high profile jewelry heists. In the meantime, a $1 million dollar reward is still up for grabs for any information leading to the arrest of the thieves.
3. The Knightsbridge Security Deposit Robbery
One of the boldest and most successful robberies of all time, the Knightsbridge Security Deposit heist happened in London in 1987, when career criminal Valerio Viccei and a small group of accomplices armed with guns managed to make off with 60 million pounds in valuables and cash from safe deposit boxes. The thieves got into the vault by pretending to rent a safe deposit box of their own, and once inside they managed to overpower the employees and security guards and start breaking into the boxes. They escaped without incident, but a bit of blood left behind at the scene allowed police to trace the robbery back to Viccei, who was wanted for a huge amount of robberies in his native Italy. Viccei’s accomplices were quickly arrested, but he fled the country and for some time eluded capture. A known playboy and high roller, he was only arrested after he returned to England in an attempt to retrieve his prized Ferrari sports car.
2. The Banco Central Burglary
Considered to be among the biggest bank heists of all time, the Banco Central burglary took place in 2005 in Fortaleza, Brazil. The robbery was the result of painstaking planning by a small gang of burglars who tunneled over 250 feet to the bank’s vault from a nearby property. The robbers used a landscaping business as a front for their operation, an ingenious cover that allowed them to move massive amounts of dirt and rock out of the tunnel without looking suspicious. The tunnel itself was expertly constructed, and was said to have sophisticated lighting and even an air conditioning system. After three months of digging, the thieves finally broke into the vault and made off with over 165 million in Brazilian reals, or $70 million dollars U.S. Since then, police have made a number of arrests in connection with the burglary, and recovered roughly $9 million dollars of the haul, but the majority of the suspects are still at large.
1. The Antwerp Diamond Heist
Antwerp, Belgium is one of the diamond capitals of the world, with 80 percent of the world’s diamonds passing through the city before being sold on the market. A number of heists have taken place there, most recently a still-unsolved $28 million robbery in 2007, but the biggest of them all took place in 2003, when a team of master criminals known as the School of Turin managed to walk away with $100 million in uncut diamonds from the Antwerp Diamond Center vault. For sheer scope, ingenuity, and risk, few robberies will ever measure up to this one. The criminals had been planning the heist for years, and using copied keys and faked security camera footage, they managed to bypass the vault’s multi-million dollar security system, which had been thought to be impenetrable. The thieves escaped without incident, but DNA left at the scene allowed them to be tracked to Italy, where most of the gang has since been captured. The $100 million in diamonds, meanwhile, seems to have disappeared for good.
10 Shocking Deaths, You May Not Have Heard Of
As you would probably expect, probing through the internet one can find many lists and sites dedicated to people who have suddenly and mysteriously died. This is only normal as in human nature there is a desire to understand the concept of death. We want specific details, so that we can recreate and understand what our loved ones were feeling as they passed. There are certain celebrities, government officials, and historical figures that you would expect to see on this list. People such as JFK, Kurt Cobain, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Jimmy Hoffa, and Heath Ledger make most collections like this. Sometimes I find it a bit redundant because I have already heard everything about these specific cases. I have compiled a list of the circumstances surrounding 10 shocking deaths that you might not have heard of.
10. Owen Hart (1965-1999)
Owen was a Canadian professional wrestler who was a member of the WWF. Hart was the youngest of twelve children, including wrestling star Bret Hart. He was a two-time Intercontinental champion, four-time World Tag Team Champion, and winner of the 1994 King of the Ring. On May 23, 1999 Hart was set to headline the Over the Edge pay-per-view event. To make his entrance Hart was going to propel from the stadium rafters using a harness and rappel line. The original plan was to have Hart become “entangled” in the harness as he reached ring level, then suddenly release himself only to fall on his face for comedic affect. This required him to use a quick release mechanism on the harness. As the stunt was being performed something went horribly wrong and the mechanism was activated when Owen was 78 feet in the air. He fell and landed chest-first on the top rope of the ring and died almost instantly from internal bleeding and blunt chest trauma. It was a complete surprise and utter tragedy. The Hart family sued the WWF for liability and they settled for $18 million dollars.
Top 10 Innocents That Were Executed
Ever since human life has existed, it’s safe to say that innocent people have been executed. Whether due to a faulty justice system, human error, discrimination, or some other reason, it’s a fact that innocent people do die. Throughout the history of the world, there have been many people who have been killed that were innocent, whether they were known to be at that time or not. In today’s world it seems that more and more innocent people placed on Death’s doorstep are somehow coming to the light and their innocence is being acknowledged.
Though not the happiest Top Tenz list you’ll ever read, the list is definitely interesting. It’s sure to make you step back and rethink death and execution itself; maybe even capital punishment will rattle throughout your head. Here is a list of the top 10 innocent people who didn’t avoid execution.
10. Saints Cosmas and Damian
Twins born in Arabia, the two boys focused their lives on practicing the art of healing. The pair focused their practices in the seaport of Aegea as well as in the Gulf of Issus. Neither one of them accepted payment for their healing, and were often called “anargyroi” or, the silverless. Many believed that they were doing their healing practices in the name of Christinary. However, the two were soon arrested due to the Prefect of Cilicia. This was issued by Diocletian and the boys were tortured and told to recant. Refusing to recant, they were hanged to a cross, stoned, shot, and then beheaded on September 27, probably in the year 287. Today the boys are saints and are patrons of physicians and surgeons.
Top 10 Worst American Civil War Generals
In determining the worse Generals of the American Civil War, this list will take us from battlefield blunders to portraits on urinals. No doubt, I will likely have a great deal of criticism regarding my choices, as this is certainly a passionate and controversial subject for most individuals who love American Civil War history.
10. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (USA)
General Kilpatrick was known for his reckless disregard for the lives of those soldiers under his command and his performance at Gettysburg bordered on criminal behavior with Elon Farnsworth paying the price. His “raid” on Richmond under the pretext of freeing Union prisoners was a joke that cost the life of COL Ulric Dahlgren. When General Kilpatrick commanded his cavalry in parades or battle and they looked quite professional. However, his camp was another story. Kilpatrick’s lack of proper discipline resulted in his camps being unkempt, disorderly, and embedded with prostitutes.
Top 10 Botched Bank Robberies
Bank robbery is still alive and well in these times of high tech crimes. Some go off without a hitch and some go off like the Titanic. Here’s a list of some of the less successful ventures. Keep your hands where we can see them and read on…
10. Maybe a Return Trip to the First Grade?
When the bank robber attacking a HSBC bank in Brooklyn passed his robbery note to the teller, he soon got suspicious as to why she was taking so long to get his money. But in truth she wasn’t stalling, she simply couldn’t read his handwriting. When she helplessly told him that she didn’t know what he wanted, he ran out of the front door with out a penny. Hopefully he was running back home to practice his cursive writing.
Top 10 Fugitives in the World Still on the Run
When it comes to people committing crimes, most fugitives try to do it in a way so that police and law enforcement officials won’t be able to find them. While some succeed, most do not, simply because as humans we make mistakes, and others will eventually pick up on those mistakes. In the world of crime, those who are caught are sentenced and usually spend time in jail or some other place that’d make the common person freak.
However, those who have not been caught, well…let’s just say they’re either lucky, smart, or just really good at hiding and escaping from the police. Or, they have some sort of high connection to those in elite places in society. Though government agencies pledge to one day catch these men, it has already proven to be much harder than anyone would have thought. Here are the top 10 fugitives that were never caught.
10. Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov
Tokhtakhounov is part of a Russian mob group. Though born and raised in Uzbekistan, he looks very Asian, which is where he gets the name “Taiwanchik.” The US government sees Tokhtakhounov as a huge figure in international Eurasian organized crime. He is known to have taken part in stealing vehicles, trafficking, selling arms illegally, and distributing guns. He is also wanted for possibly fixing events ranging from beauty pageants to Olympic events. In 2002 he was captured in Italy, but he was eventually freed and has not been found since. He is said to possibly be in Russia.
Top 10 Deadliest Prisons in the World
Of course, nobody wants to go to prison, but there are some prisons that you really, really don’t want to be imprisoned as an inmate. Being in jail is only part of the problem, staying alive is the bigger issue. Here are the top 10 most dangerous prisons in the world.
10. San Quentin Prison
San Quentin, California - In the 1930’s, San Quentin was rife with corruption by management, until a new director, Clinton Truman Duffy, appalled at the inhumane conditions at the prison, decided to implement reforms in the 1940’s. Prior to his appointment, prisoners made counterfeit currency in the prison shops, had their heads shaved and were forced to wear numbered uniforms, while eating out of pails and enduring solitary confinement in poured-concrete cells that had little air and no light. Even a petty offense to prison regulations would land an inmate in solitary, and race riots would put inmate lives at risk on a regular basis. San Quentin is still a harsh environment, filled with California’s most violent offenders, and the high ratio of guards to general population, just barely keeps the prison system from spiraling out of control.
10 “Popular” Poisons
It used to be that poisoning was the murder method of choice for those cunning villains who wanted to “get away with it.” However, following advances in forensic science, poisoning no longer allows murderers any anonymity. Nowadays, the use of poison is so easily detectable it is comparable to the murderer writing a confession. “And, to think, I could have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for those pesky CSI investigators.”
10. Castor Bean
- Castor Bean Plant
When you consider that castor oil is used as a food additive in candy and chocolate, it’s disconcerting to discover that the fruit of that plant, the castor bean contains a supertoxic level of the poison ricin. As little as one bean, well chewed, could prove fatal. However, according to figures from the American Association of Poison Control Centres (AAPC) only two Castor Bean fatalities were recorded in the period from 1999 to 2004.
VERDICT: Flava Beans or Castor Beans? Perhaps it would be best to just go for a meal with Dr Hannibal Lecter.
10 Extremely Dangerous Gangs
The word gang has taken on many meanings throughout the years. Originally, the word was just used to express a group or band of people. You probably have heard someone talk about the local gang of boys or something of that sort. In older times, the word gang didn’t have such the negative tone that comes along with it today. As time has gone on, the word gang has grown to be a word that many worry about when they hear it. It seems a “gang” has evolved from just being a group of people to a group of people that associate for some criminal or other antisocial purpose.
Depending on where you live, you have probably heard about gang crimes. If you don’t live too close to a big city, it is sure that you have read or watched the news and heard about some sort of gang activity. Gangs exist all over the world, not just in your own country. Here are the top 10 of the most dangerous gangs that you definitely don’t want to come into contact with.
Aryan Brotherhood (AB, The Brand)
Another jailhouse gang for you. Even though they are not one of the biggest prison gangs, the Aryan Brotherhood is known to have murdered many prisoners in jail. The gang only makes up about 1% of prison populations, but size doesn’t matter to the AB. In fact, this gang is known for at least 26% of the murders that occur in prisons around the U.S. The AB is split into two groups, usually those in federal prisons and other members that are located in some of the smaller state prisons, especially those in California. In order to join the Aryan Brotherhood, one has to kill or assault another prisoner. This is known as blood in, blood out. Any who try to leave the gang are generally assaulted or murdered by a member. The AB is known for organized crime, extortion, inmate prostitution, drug trafficking, and murder-for-hire.
Top 10 Cults
A “cult” typically refers to a social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding population considers to be outside the mainstream. Cults usually expect a large amount of time and money to be devoted as well. And sometimes a cult will ask the ultimate price, your life. Here are 10 cults that have changed the way the world looks at cults.
10. Scientology
Scientology may not be considered a true “doomsday” cult as most others on this list are, but it still has a stronghold all over the world, and its fair share of detractors who tell stories of mind control, financial devastation, and criminal activity leading to the deaths of those trying to escape the religion. Created by L. Ron Hubbard in 1947 in his first office on La Brea and Sunset in Los Angeles, Scientology is a religion based on the idea of clearing the “thetans” of outer space entities from the human psyche, with intense therapy sessions that rely on the use of a crude lie detector test, known as an E-Meter. Followers: Beck, Tom Cruise, Priscilla Presley. Scientology runs centers all over the world, but its best known is the Celebrity Center in Los Angeles, where many of its most renowned members come to “get clear”.
Read more
-
Advertisers
Email admin@toptenz.net if you wish to advertise here.
Translator
By N2H - Top 10 Greatest Guitar Players (Guitarists)
- Top 10 Most Beautiful Eyes
- Top 10 Tear-Jerker Movies
- Top 10 Arguments That Can’t Be Won
- Top 10 Ways to Tick Off Your Waiter
- Top 10 Useless College Degrees & Classes
- Top 10 Comic Book Villains
- Top 10 Violent Movies
- Top 10 Generals of Western History
- Top 10 Wines Under $10
- Top 10 Cults
- Top 10 Time Travel Movies
- Top 10 Funniest Webcomics
- Top 10 Board Games We Secretly Hate
- Top 10 Fanatical Tribute Bands
- 10 Song Covers You May Not Know Were Covers
- Top 10 Smartest Dogs
- Top 10 Most Crippling Phobias
- Top 10 Worst Batman Villains
- 10 Actors Who Passed on Movie Roles
- James, Holland's book, "Persian Fire" (Greek/Persian wars)is worth a look. His other books are goo...by Rob Mitchell
- Platypus' are the nerds of the animal kingdom...by Josh P
- My favorites are: ‘Shiny Happy People’ at http://www.artofshen.com/blog And I’ve been a long time...by Nanagotano
- I saw "My Sister's Keeper" last week. I think it's going to be in the top 10... definitely a 3-hank...by Ironmunk
- Some strange diet fads for sure!...by dacournean
- When I took Biology in College and I told my mom about the tapeworm and that we had them in formalin...by gwen
- Did people really NOT know that Live and Let Die was by Paul McCartney? And since when is Dave Matth...by TrixRabbi
- Rodman didn't win it? Chad Johnson is just crazy....by Jared Stenzel
- What about the Calendar? I'd say without time-measurement we'd be in a big pile of poop organization...by Gorbzy
- A periscope usually allows for binocular view, so #4 is not really a blooper, since the guy has on...by s.oliver