<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-22-what-happened-on-this-day/acf966bc-fcc6-43c1-a871-b77d1a2c41d6" rel="" target="" title="largest cash robbery in UK history"><span>largest cash robbery in UK history</span></a><span> took place on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-22-what-happened-on-this-day/acf966bc-fcc6-43c1-a871-b77d1a2c41d6" rel="" target="" title="February 22, 2006"><span>February 22, 2006</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A group of robbers kidnapped the manager of the Securitas depot and his family, before tricking their way into the Tonbridge building.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There, the armed thieves tied up the employees at the depot and attempted to load all the cash they could into a truck.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-19-what-happened-on-this-day-nikko-jenkins/e918bf40-c62f-445a-be8f-0611a0fd2512" rel="" target="" title="Serial killer sues state for letting him out of prison"><strong><span>Serial killer sues state for letting him out of prison</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the theft was delayed because the thieves could not operate the machinery used to move large pallets of cash.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Eventually a hostage had to operate a power lifter at gunpoint.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The robbers made off with £53 million in banknotes, equivalent to $176 million in today's money.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-22-what-happened-on-this-day/cd401ecc-ec58-460b-a677-e8461d1ca7ce" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But they left behind another £154 million simply because they had no way to transport it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-18-what-happened-on-this-day-electric-shock-grapes/795ea0a2-7100-442d-bb03-d5f807a9ef83"><strong><span>Bunch of grapes knocks TV reporter unconscious</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Within days, the first of the robbers were arrested by police.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It did not take long before most of the suspects were caught.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Seven people were convicted over the crime, including several MMA fighters who had met at the gym.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Only about £20 million has been recovered, and two suspects remain at large.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In cash value, the Securitas robbery was twice as much as the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-november-26-what-happened-on-this-day-brinks-mat-robbery/187955d1-c64b-4cc1-a4e0-a015b3763caf" rel="" target="" title="notorious Brinks-Mat robbery of 1983"><span>notorious Brinks-Mat robbery of 1983</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In that heist, a group of robbers got into a warehouse from </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/news-uk-new-bid-to-solve-goldfinger-gangster-murder-cold-case/1c015c1e-47aa-4ccd-98fd-1a62f19a5366" target="" title="security firm Brink's-Mat"><span>security firm Brink's-Mat</span></a><span> in London with the help of a complicit security guard.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-25-what-happened-on-this-day-avianca-flight-052/251ced8e-f7d2-4aea-8a67-be5948ff0ef1"><strong><span>Shock discovery when surgeons cut open plane crash survivor</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When they got inside, they instead found three tonnes of pure gold.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The gold was being stored in the warehouse overnight before being shipped to Hong Kong the next day.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>What was intended to be a quick smash-and-grab robbery became a complex operation. The robbers had to seek more transport because they couldn't fit everything in their getaway van.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The group's haul of gold, cash, travellers' cheques and precious stones ended up amounting to an estimated $588 million in today's money.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-january-29-what-happened-on-this-day/69d68b09-4491-4679-9c8e-cf7111c2e1d2"><strong><span>Teen girl's chilling reason for gunning down eight schoolchildren</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" target="" title="For more from our Today in History archive, click here."><strong><span>For more from our Today in History archive, click here</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank" title=""><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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