Nice, France, July 21: Hundreds of agitated clients besieged a bank here yesterday to find out if they were among the victims of the biggest robbery in history.
At least 50 million francs (₹9 crores) were spirited away from the bank during a weekend operation carried out with military precision by a gang who got clean away.
The thieves dug a tunnel eight metres long into the strongroom of the bank, where they rifled 200 deposit boxes containing money, securities, jewels and gold.
Behind them the thieves left a note saying, “No shots, no violence, no hatred” and bearing the international peace sign.
The gang worked undisturbed all the week-end in an operation that makes the British ‘Great Train Robbery’ look like a candy store hold up. Bank officials discovered the robbery only on Monday, as before leaving the way they got in, the gang had welded the vault door shut from the inside.
The police who confessed that they were astonished by the skill displayed, believe the gang started the operation on Friday night.
Published - July 22, 2026 01:13 am IST