Harry Flashman would approve

[MajGenl.Meade]

I suppose one should never admire criminality but Harry Flashman maintains that he can appreciate anyone being good at their job, even if he doesn't approve.

$20,000,000 jewellery heist recently in Johannesburg - a team of 15 who needed 8 hours to batter down a brick vault wall in a secure building. They knew that as soon as they entered the building the alarm would sound and ADT Armed Security would turn up within ten minutes.

Genius plan. They raced in; stripped two real guards of their uniforms and ten minutes later they'd drilled out the building's exterior door locks and replaced them with locks of identical appearance to which they (of course) had the keys. Then they hid quietly inside leaving two of their own in the guard uniforms to meet ADT, show them that the building was secure, doors all locked rattle-rattle. Off goes ADT, back to work goes the gang and they've got all night to loot the place.

Hatton Garden, anyone?

Edited to correct my slight misunderstanding but it remains devilish clever!

[RayThom]

$20,000,000 jewellery heist recently in Johannesburg

I bet there was inside help.

I suspect this will be solved very quickly.

[Bicycle Bill]

In much the same way, I remember the first time I read Frederick Forsyth's "The Day of the Jackal" back in the 1970s, and how I found my naive 17-year-old self questioning my admiration for the Jackal and his ingenuity, cunning, and meticulous preparation — and his ability to stay just outside of the grasp of the French police — despite the fact that what he was attempting to do (assassinate Charles de Gaulle) was undeniably a criminal act.

-"BB"