Heists Gone Right—And Wrong

There’s something about bank heists that never fails to grab attention. Maybe it’s the mix of bold planning, quick mistakes, and human desperation that makes them unforgettable. Some robbers managed to pull off their plans without a hitch, while others learned the hard way that luck runs out fast. These stories show both sides of that line. Let’s begin with the ones that actually worked—at least for a while.

Kwh1050 on Wikimedia

1. Banco Río Robbery, Argentina (2006)

January 2006 shocked Argentina when $20 million vanished from Banco Río. A gang led by Fernando Araujo tunneled through Acassuso’s storm drains to enter and then escaped in inflatable boats. Their underground route connected directly to the vault, and by the time police arrived, they were already gone.

Germanramos on Wikimedia

2. British Bank Of The Middle East Robbery, Lebanon (1976)

During Lebanon’s brutal civil war, thieves used explosives to enter the British Bank of the Middle East’s Beirut vault. They stole $50 million in cash, gold, and gems. Police made several arrests, but the valuables disappeared forever.

Marco K. from Hollanda on Wikimedia

3. Grand National Bank Robbery, USA (1930)

In 1930, calm turned to chaos inside St. Louis’s Grand National Bank. The guards had just left their posts when thieves stormed in, binding the staff and vanishing with $1 million. Whispers of gangster involvement filled the city, yet the truth dissolved with the bank’s own downfall.

Sam valadi on Wikimedia

4. Bank Of New South Wales Heist, Australia (1978)

Australia’s biggest bank robbery unfolded in the quiet town of Murwillumbah. Thieves drilled the safe and stole $1.

7 million just 328 feet from a staffed police station. Fascinatingly, the heist still remains unsolved, despite confessions and long-standing local theories.

Donovan Govan. on Wikimedia

5. Ocean National Bank Robbery, USA (1869)

Beneath Manhattan’s busy streets, a secret tunnel crept toward fortune. George Leonidas Leslie’s crew spent months digging beneath Ocean National Bank, striking gold—literally. When the vault was breached, $770,000 disappeared overnight. The strangest twist? Even with the clues, justice never arrived.

Atubofsilverware on Wikimedia

6. Northern Bank Robbery, Northern Ireland (2004)

Belfast’s largest robbery unfolded when criminals kidnapped two bank managers’ families to access Northern Bank’s headquarters. They escaped with £26.5 million ($48 million), yet most of the haul consisted of worn-out notes marked for destruction. 

Ardfern on Wikimedia

7. Standard Bank Robbery, South Africa (1977)

After months of tunneling from a rented shop, thieves broke into Krugersdorp’s Standard Bank during Easter weekend, stealing 400,000 rand ($22,000). Construction noise nearby masked their work, and security systems were shut off. Photos of the tunnel hit headlines—but the culprits and cash vanished.

Husskeyy on Wikimedia

8. Central Bank Of Iraq Robbery, Iraq (2003)

Just before the U.S. invasion, Saddam Hussein personally ordered his son Qusay to withdraw nearly $1 billion from Baghdad’s Central Bank. Operatives tunneled in, loaded 3.5 tons of cash into trucks, and fled. It became history’s largest state-sponsored bank theft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:A3syrian on Wikimedia

9. Lincoln National Bank Robbery, USA (1930)

The Lincoln National Bank robbery defined 1930s crime. Armed men stormed the Nebraska bank and escaped with $2.7 million, the biggest U.

S. heist of its time. No one was killed, and most of the money was never recovered.

No machine-readable author provided. Tysto assumed (based on copyright claims). on Wikimedia

10. Dar Es Salaam Bank Robbery, Iraq (2007)

Baghdad’s instability gave way to an inside job like no other. Security guards at the Dar Es Salaam Investment Bank vanished with $282 million overnight. There were no gunfights or alarms—just employees who locked up and erased every trace of themselves.

SALTOnline on Wikimedia

Not every plan ends in glory—some crash in deadly ways like these next ones. 

1. Banco Central Tunnel Heist, Brazil (2005)

Thieves spent months carving a 260-foot tunnel beneath Banco Central, complete with lighting and air conditioning, to steal $70 million. The handiwork amazed investigators, but also doomed the robbers. The detailed setup became a roadmap for police, leading to arrests and recovery of most of the cash.

Senado Federal on Wikimedia

2. United California Bank Heist, USA (1972)

Thieves blew open United California Bank’s vault in Laguna Niguel and stole $9 million without tripping any alarms. However, their downfall came from one overlooked clue—a fingerprint on electrical tape. That tiny mistake led the FBI straight to Amil Dinsio’s crew in Ohio.

ErgoSum88 on Wikimedia

3. Mitsubishi Bank Robbery, Japan (1979)

What began as a robbery at Tokyo’s Mitsubishi Bank in 1979 descended into chaos when Akiyoshi Umekawa killed four people and held 40 hostages for 42 hours. The tragedy exposed police unpreparedness and led to major reforms in Japan’s hostage-crisis response.

J o on Wikimedia

4. Baker Street Robbery, United Kingdom (1971)

A gang tunneled 40 feet from a London leather shop into Lloyds Bank’s vault on Baker Street, blowing open the chamber to seize £3 million ($3.8 million) in cash and valuables.

Their plan was flawless—until an amateur radio operator overheard their conversations and alerted police.

Steven Birks on Wikimedia

5. Wołów Bank Robbery, Poland (1962)

An electrician named Stanisław J. disguised his gang as soldiers to rob Poland’s State Bank in Wołów. They stole what was then the nation’s largest sum, but their fake uniforms and loose talk gave them away. Nearly every stolen złoty was recovered.

Mzopw on Wikimedia

6. Commonwealth Bank Robbery, Australia (1984)

Stephen “AT” Atahan’s luck ran out after two successful robberies on the same day in 1984. His third target, a Commonwealth Bank in Sydney, ended in a deadly shootout. One officer was wounded, and Atahan was fatally shot by police.

Maksym Kozlenko on Wikimedia

7. Gladbeck Bank Robbery, Germany (1988)

Germany watched in disbelief as reporters interviewed armed robbers live during the 1988 Gladbeck crisis. The failed heist turned into a 54-hour hostage nightmare that left three dead. The media’s reckless coverage of the story also led to sweeping reforms in both journalism and police protocols.

GLADBECK: THE HOSTAGE CRISIS (GLADBECK: DAS GEISELDRAMA) | Documentary by Volker Heise | Trailer by Film Five

8. Seafirst Bank Robbery, USA (1997)

The “Trenchcoat Robbers” pulled off a $4.5 million theft from Seafirst Bank in Washington. But their flashy spending soon exposed them. What began as a record-setting success ended in quick arrests and long sentences.

Publichall on Wikimedia

9. Bank Of America Heist Attempt, USA (1998)

Three armed men used basic masks to rob Bank of America’s 11th-floor vault at New York’s World Trade Center. They escaped with $1.

6 million, but their simplicity proved their undoing—routine police work quickly identified and captured the entire group.

Tdorante10 on Wikimedia

10. Piraeus Bank Robbery, Greece (2010)

A  heist turned into a tense hostage crisis in Piraeus, Greece. Two robbers were caught outside, while a third trapped himself inside with terrified customers. After hours of negotiation, he surrendered peacefully, which ended a failed robbery that made global headlines.

Erud on Wikimedia