The British Bank of the Middle East robbery

The British Bank of the Middle East robbery is known as one of the most infamous in the world due to how it occurred, the people involved, and the amount of money stolen in gold. A group of thieves robbed the local branch of the British Bank of the Middle East on rue des Banques on January 20, 1976. This was close to the Place de l'Etoile, the seat of Parliament, and not far from the Grand Seraglio, the Prime Minister's office in the Bab Idriss District, and now HSBC Bank Middle East.

Despite the fact that the country was in the grip of a civil war at the time, the bank street was unaffected by the events until this point. When Lebanon was in the grip of civil war, a group of robbers decided to capitalize on the chaos. The group used explosives to break through the wall of a Catholic church and enter the nearby British Bank of the Middle East in one of the most daring robberies of all time. They brought professional locksmiths with them to break open the vault.

The robbers stole $44.5 million in cash, stocks, gold bars, jewelry, and other valuables. Nobody was arrested, and no loot was recovered. The stolen goods are now worth more than three times what they were in 1976.

Stolen: $20 million - $50 million