Salon.com > robbery

Cybergang loots ATMs of $45m in mere hours

Thu, 09 May 2013 20:15:00 +0000

Welcome to the heist of today: $45 million stolen within hours from thousands of ATMs, having hacked into debit card databases and more, relying on networks of cyberthieves across continents. As the AP reported Thursday:

Seven people are under arrest in the U.S. in connection with the case, which prosecutors said involved thousands of thefts from ATMs using bogus magnetic swipe cards. The accused ringleader in the U.S. cell, Alberto Yusi Lajud-Pena, was reportedly murdered in the Dominican Republic late last month, prosecutors said. More investigations are ongoing and other arrests have been made in other countries, but prosecutors did not have details.

An indictment unsealed Thursday accused the eight of being members of the New York cell, saying they withdrew $2.8 million in cash from hacked accounts in less than a day. One of the suspects was caught on multiple surveillance cameras, his backpack increasingly loaded down with cash. Others took photos of themselves with giant wads of bills as they made their way up and down Manhattan.

Millions in uncut diamonds stolen from Brussels airport

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:44:00 +0000

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Armed robbers have pulled off a spectacular heist at Brussels airport, stealing millions of dollars worth of uncut diamonds from a plane.

The gang of eight hit a Brinks security truck as its contents were being loaded onto a Swiss aircraft bound for Zurich, Belgian public television reported Tuesday.

The Flemish radio station VRT initially reported the haul as being worth 350 million euros ($465 million), but later revised the figure to 50 million euros ($67 million), according to Agence France-Presse.

"What we are talking about is obviously a gigantic sum," Caroline De Wolf of the Antwerp World Diamond Center told VRT.

AFP cited a spokeswoman at the same Antwerp center calling the robbery "one of the biggest" ever. She said the diamonds were "rough stones" being transported from Antwerp to Zurich.

Weird news: Fast-food robbery suspect returns to restaurant, gets caught

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 22:54:00 +0000

PONTIAC, Mich. — Officials say a suspected robber of a suburban Detroit restaurant who apparently returned months later to get some food is under arrest after being recognized by employees.

The Oakland County sheriff's department says workers at a McDonald's in Pontiac spotted the 40-year-old man Saturday in the drive-thru.

Sheriff's deputies responded and took the Pontiac man into custody. He was being held at the Oakland County Jail pending charges.

The robbery happened Oct. 5.