Millions Stolen At Heathrow
 

So much for security at LHR!!!

Just in on the Beeb.

Millions Stolen at Heathrow Airport.

Robbers have stolen a "substantial" amount of money - believed to be millions of dollars - during a raid on a British Airways security vehicle at Heathrow Airport. . .Police were called to the airport by security staff at about 0630 GMT after reports of two men escaping with the money.

It is understood that $5m in cash (£3.5m) flown into Heathrow on a jet from Bahrain and bound for New York's JFK Airport was stolen.

The theft happened in a secure area, beyond customs, near Terminal 4.

'No firearms'

The 35-year-old driver of the security van was found with his wrists bound and was taken to a west London hospital suffering from shock.

Police have not revealed the exact amount or the currency of the stolen money.

Police said the cash was transferred by the robbers from the BA security vehicle into a Renault Master van with BA livery.

The suspects drove off and the van was later found abandoned and burnt out in Feltham, Middlesex.

Police said there was no trace of the money or the robbers.

Scotland Yard's Flying Squad is investigating the robbery.

A police spokesperson said: "At this very early stage the police are trying to establish the exact circumstances of the robbery.

"No firearms were seen. We are not prepared to comment on the exact amount money that was taken.

"It was a substantial amount."

The security van driver told officers at least two men attacked him.

Police refused to reveal how the robbers got in to the secure area or in which direction they fled. . . <img src="eek.gif" border="0">

Those of us that work at LHR are not surprised in the least. I've lost count of the valuable cargo left unattended in holds or dumped on the pier. I suspect these things happen all the time, but rarely leak out to the press, for fear of the bad publicity.....

I wonder whose head will roll for this one!, and what theie excuse will be!. No doubt security will be stepped up. How many times has it been stepped up to date? <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

Why was 5 million flown in "in cash." This is the 21st century, haven't these guys heard about wire transfers?

The mighty greenback is a much more frequent flier than you might think.

The popularity of the US dollar as a street currency outside the US means that substantial quantities of US banknotes are shipped outside the US every year. The export of US dollars is by no means accidental: it is in every government's interest to promote the usage of its banknotes because of the economic phenomenon known as seigniorage whereby a state profits from the issuance of its banknotes. The US Federal Reserve profits from the use of the US dollar abroad and helps orchestrate its physical movements.

Thus the US exports vast quantities of banknotes, especially to soft currency areas of the world (e.g. Russia) or those areas where the the local economy has effectively dollarised (e.g. much of Latin America). Three-quarters of all 100 dollar notes are held outside the US, according to the Federal Reserve Board.

I recall reading a fascinating article in New York Magazine on the movement of banknotes several years ago, featuring the weekly US banknote haul from JFK to Moscow in the belly of a Delta 767, but I can't so far find the piece on the web.

As to the fact that in this case the currency was headed back to the States: notes wear out and require replacing. The clever thieves in this haul will have received the perfect stash of out of sequence, used notes. It sounds like a terrific piece of criminal work!

Minor edits for content.

[ 11 February 2002: Message edited by: J-Class ]</p>

It was just the redundancy money being delivered for Wednesday.

Or maybe an attempt by BA Management to recoup some of their loses from the last quarter. Then again, the heist was carried out by competent crooks, so BA couldn't possibly have been involved... <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Of course if BA's dirty trick department was behind it, the cash will keep the Big Airline in business until Wednesday at least!

Given that we're losing £2 million a day, I hardly think we should quibble over a poxy £3.5 mill.

I'll assume that with the ease of money going out from a "secured" area, it's just as easy for an explosive to go in??? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

I am totally shocked at how easy it was to committ this crime. <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> <img src="eek.gif" border="0"> . .Why was $6.5 million being carried by one man in an unsecured van. I bet the insurance companies are asking BA the same question. Definately sounds like an inside job. <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

I don't know! you save a little bit of your wages and then send it home so your old mum can buy a little house in the country and some little torag goes and nicks it <img src="frown.gif" border="0"> <img src="frown.gif" border="0">

If the insurance don't pay out I am gonna have to work her another couple of months to replace that :) :)

Apollo 1. .Expensive lesson but will they ever learn? . .It could have been guns, explosives, grenade launchers etc.etc.etc.

Security was too busy screening the pilots and flight attendants !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unbelievable, totally and unterly.

What a great advert to encourage people to fly again.