Does a Big Heist Mean Big Money?

Hollywood movies with devilishly handsome celebrities and fast cars make big money heists seem enticing. They sure seem like and easy and good way to make money. However, the part Hollywood doesn't show, the arrests and jail time, is much more common than getting away with all that money. Texas defense laywer, Fred Dahr, compiled a list of some of the biggest heists to see how the bandits made off -- rich or jailed? Below is a more indepth look at a huge robbery in Great Britain. 

The largest cash robbery to ever take place in Great Britain was on February 22, 2006, when more than $105 million were stolen from the Securitas depot. On February 21st 2006, the manager, Colin Dixon, was abducted. He was stopped by a vehicle he believed to be an unmarked police car. A man posing as a police officer approached his car. After getting out of his car, Dixon was handcuffed by several other people and taken to another location. There, he was bound more securely and moved to a farm in Kent. While Dixon was being abducted, others posing as police officers went to his home. His wife opened the door upon being told Dixon was in an accident. She and Dixon’s eight year old son were abducted and taken the farm where Dixon was being held. Dixon was held at gunpoint and told that if he didn’t cooperate, his family would be harmed. Dixon, his wife and child were transported to the Securitas depot. When they arrived at Securitas, the robbers detained 14 employees. Dixon, his wife and child were placed in cash cages with the employees.

One of the employees had a key to unlock the cage. After the robber left, she let herself out and freed the others. When the police arrived, they found that no one was injured. A reward was offered for information that would lead to the arrest of the robbers. On February 23, 2006, the police arrested a man and a woman in South London for allegedly taking part in a conspiracy to commit robbery. The police stated they believed there were six or more people involved in the robbery. Another suspect was arrested for allegedly handling stolen goods. The investigation tracked down several vehicles involved in the crime including the white van used to abduct Dixon. Two vehicles that had been modified to look like police cars were found in the Village of Leeds. One had been set on fire. Dixon’s vehicle was found in the parking lot of a pub in Delting. Materials used to carry the money were also found in Delting the day after Dixon’s car was found. A tip from the public led to finding a van containing guns, body armor and a large sum of the money.

A Southborough house was raided on February 25, 2006. The following day, two men led the police in a chase that ended in their arrest after a police officer shot the tires on their car. Two more individuals were arrested in the Greenwhich are after police discovered a vehicle allegedly used to move stolen money. Another arrest was made during a raid of a farm near Staplehurst. The owner of the farm could not be located at the time but was later charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and three counts of kidnapping. By March 1, 2006, five more people had been arrested, bringing the number of arrests in conjunction with the robbery to seventeen. The trial began in London on June 26th, 2007. The initial three weeks were spent cross-examining Dixon, suggesting he had taken part in the robbery. Seven people were tried for their involvement in the robbery. Five were found guilty and two were cleared of all charges. One other suspect was jailed in 2010 in Morocco for his part in the robbery. Initially he was sentenced to 10 years. Later it was changed to 25 years.