ARGENTINA: Art of the Heist: The Disappeared TV -
Argentina was ruled by a ruthless military junta. When the biggest art theft in the nation’s history occurred. Impressionist paintings by some of France’s most famous artists were stolen. For more than twenty years the paintings ... vanished. The hunt for the paintings covered three countries, and was finally resolved in a courtroom in Paris. Art of the Heist s2e7: The Disappeared, 2006
AUSTRALIA: Australian Families of Crime TV - Robbery Under Arms 1958 -
Victoria Club, Melbourne, April 21 1976: Inside the Victoria Club in Queen’s Street, Melbourne, bookmakers and punters are meeting to pay off bets ... Security guards are delivering millions of dollars in cash. Australian Families of Crime s1e5: Dockers and Death, Nine Network 2010 -
The Great Bookie Robbery was Australia’s largest single hold-up. ibid.
First in line for his cut – Les Kane – a member of the notorious Painters and Dockers Union whose reign over the Melbourne underground was at its peak in the 1970s. ibid.
Australia, 1865: vast, empty, lonely – a land the size of Europe, a land where gold was to be found. Robbery Under Arms 1958 starring Peter Finch & Ronald Lewis & Jill Ireland & Laurence Naismith & David McCallum & Maureen Swanson & Vincent Ball et al, director Jack Lee
AUSTRIA: Art of the Heist TV -
It was perhaps the biggest art heist of all time. Countless millions of dollars of the finest European art simply seized by the Nazis … Among the booty was one of the most extraordinary paintings of the 20th century owned by a wealthy Jewish industrialist. It was a portrait of a woman be Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. For sixty years the painting’s owners fought to get it back. The battle took them to the American Supreme Court. Art of the Heist s2e1: The Lady in Gold, 2007
Gustav Klimt painted Adele Bloch-Bauer in 1907. ibid.
The case had attracted media interest from around the world. ibid.
The Klimts were going up for auction. ibid.
In January 2006 Austrian police began a search of a wooded area outside Vienna. It was a strange place to look for a salt-cellar but it was no ordinary salt-cellar they were seeking, but a solid gold one by Benvenuto Cellini, more than three hundred years old ... worth about £30,000,000 and stolen from Vienna’s History of Art Museum. The thief had been toying with the police sending them anonymous letters and leading them on a treasure hunt with written clues along the way. For three years the audacious thief led the police on a wild goose chase playing hunt the salt-cellar. Art of the Heist s2e5: The Thieving Don Juan, 2007
On the seventh floor they found chaos: a window had been broken from the outside. In the centre of the room a glass cabinet had been broken, and it was empty. ibid.
Valued for insurance today at $65,000,000. ibid.
The sculpture was unique, and uniquely important. ibid.
BELGIUM: Heists TV - Salamander TV - Inside the Heists TV -
February 15th 2003: one of the world’s most secure vaults is raided. It’s the diamond centre in Antwerp Belgium. The thieves escape with over a quarter of a billion pounds worth of gems, cash and valuables. Heists s1e3: Antwerp Diamond Centre, Channel 5 2017
The perfect crime until an unbelievable discovery is made. ibid.
The biggest payload in criminal history. ibid.
Once his cover story that he’s a gem dealer has been accepted Notarbartolo’s next step is to gain the trust of the security staff and slowly build up the intelligence he needs. ibid.
The thieves have chosen the only place in Belgium where the dumping of rubbish will result in the police being called. ibid.
We said no stocks and bonds. Just cash and jewellery. Salamander I, robber to robber in bank vault, BBC 2014
There’s a traitor in our midst. ibid. bank manager
You seem to have trodden in some very dangerous shit. Salamander II, Martin to Paul
I do think it’s strange. I really do. Our people are everywhere. We have 720 members who are with goodness knows how many banks. ibid. woman at meeting
All their secrets are now in the wrong hands. If that’s exploited, the country won’t survive. Salamander III, DPP to minister
I just hate him being gone all the time. But that’s the way I am. Salamander IV, wife to daughter
We need to know who’s behind this. Knowledge of what was in those safes could be used to destroy the country. ibid. DPP
You don’t get to where I am now without political support. Salamander V, DPP
Salamander is much more than that. It’s about 720 people in leading positions. ibid.
Rasenberg has a member of the Royal Family by the balls if I may put it so crudely. Prince Olivier. Gerardi found evidence of this in Rasenberg’s safe. Salamander VI, DPP
Mrs Rasenberg gave me away. My wife’s been murdered, Carl. And no-one’s doing anything about it. No-one’s lifting a finger. Salamander VII, Paul
And say all those who committed suicide or resigned were members of Salamander – a secret group that’s infiltrating the State and will soon have as much power in Parliament? Then the government will collapse and you won’t be a minister. Salamander VIII, DPP
The King’s starting to worry about these suicides and resignations ... I want someone's head. Salamander IX, private secretary
I am asking you to give me Persigal. Salamander X, blond villain
Jonkhere used Spika to his own advantage and later turned it into Salamander. ibid. DPP