£25million

£25million

Biggest ever heist in Europe last night

More than £25m in cash has been stolen from a depot in Kent after its security manager and his family were kidnapped by armed robbers posing as police.

The raid was carried out in the early hours of Wednesday at Securitas, in Vale Road, Tonbridge, by at least six men who tied up 15 staff members.

The manager was abducted after being pulled over in his car by what he thought was an unmarked police vehicle.

The Bank of England confirmed the scale of the raid - one of Europe's biggest.

A Securitas spokesman said "a substantial amount of money running into millions of pounds" had been taken.

He said the exact figure would only be known once a complete audit of the site had been carried out.

The kidnapping of the manager took place at about 1830 GMT on Tuesday.


This was clearly a robbery that was planned in detail over time
Det Supt Paul Gladstone

He was in his silver Nissan Almera on the northbound carriageway of the A249, just past the Three Squirrels public house near Stockbury, when he was pulled over by what he believed was a police vehicle.

He was spoken to by a passenger wearing a high visibility jacket and a police-style hat.

Thinking they were genuine police officers, he got into the kidnappers' vehicle where he was handcuffed.

At the same time, the man's wife and young son were taken from their home in Herne Bay after two men claiming to be police officers said he had been involved in an accident.

The depot manager was transferred to a white van, tied up at gunpoint, and then driven to another location where he was told to co-operate or his family would be in danger.


UK HISTORY OF ROBBERIES
December 2004 - £26.4m stolen from Northern Bank headquarters in Belfast
February 2002 - Thieves take $6.5m (£3.4m) from a British Airways van at Heathrow Airport
November 1983 - £26m in gold bullion and diamonds stolen from the Brinks-Mat high security vault, also at Heathrow
1963 - Armed robbers steal £2.6m in the Great Train Robbery

Britain's biggest robberies

At about 0100 GMT on Wednesday, he was taken by car to the Securitas depot and the raid was carried out.

The balaclava-clad robbers, some of whom had handguns, left at about 0215 GMT.

The staff who had been tied up managed to raise the alarm about an hour later - police officers found them with the manager and his family.

They were all shocked but unhurt and police said they were now recovering from the ordeal.

Securitas spokesman Tony Benson said: "Members of our staff have had inflicted on them the most terrible and traumatic experience.

"The fact that no-one has been physically injured should not mask the brutality of this crime and we are all committed to working with the police to catch those responsible and see justice brought to bear."

Det Supt Paul Gladstone said: "This was a traumatic ordeal for the manager and his family and for all of the staff.

Securitas sign
The raid was at Securitas' main cash depot south of the River Thames

"This was clearly a robbery that was planned in detail over time.

"A very substantial sum of money running into millions of pounds has been stolen and we are determined to bring the robbers to justice."

Police are appealing for information from anyone who may have seen the manager's silver Nissan, or a Volvo or similar vehicle meeting up with a white van.

They also want to trace a 7.5 tonne truck which was used in the robbery itself.

In December 2004 a £26.4m raid at the Northern Bank's Belfast headquarters became the biggest cash heist in UK history.

source

im laughing all the way to the bank too


when it all dies down ill treat u all to some askew in newcastle

i heard bout that at least no one got hurt tho, u gotta admire them in a way!

good work lads

i love to see fit young men putting themselfs to good use

kidnapping is the way forward isn't it

theres no way to guard against it

it has to be a inside job to some accounts

most gangs get employed in the target premises for a months or even years before hand

I couldn't give a shit about crime like this unless its fucking asylum seekers

Could be £40million

they have copied the irish almost extly

It probably was them.

cant be, imagine being pulled over by two irish cops

its tooooo stupid

True

work all your life and die with fuck all, steal and live happy ever after, aslong as noone got hurt i wouldn't feel fucking guilty

exactly what i said to Dan before, the bank of england have already made a press statement saying they have been reimbursed by Securitas

fucking hell. some of the idiotic comments in this thread beggar belief.

a man has been kidnapped, threatened with a gun, had the lives of his family threatened and you all want to slap them on the back and say well done lads.

pure scum.

You could make some £££ defending them if the police catch them though, everyones a winner

:camp:

not really. i just don't see what is funny about being kidnapped and being told your family will be killed if you don't co-operate.

maybe that makes me weird these days.. i just don't know anymore.

pathetic.

violence dosnt shock us

we grew up with mtv

we happy slap for laffs

FUCK YOU