Online Reporter
LONDON. − Valerio Viccei, a man already wanted for more than 50 armed robberies in Italy, almost committed a perfect crime in 1987 here in the British capital.
Valerio walked with his assistant in a bank, and they stole US$97 million.
After walking into a bank, they asked to rent a safe deposit box.
Once they got into the vault, they pulled out their guns, overpowered the bank manager and guards, and put a closed sign on the bank door.
They broke into as many of the safe deposit boxes as possible, and made off with millions in cash and valuables.
Yet, he made one mistake, and that is how he got caught.
Famous as “The Knightsbridge Security Deposit robbery”, it took place on 12 July 1987 in Cheval Place, Knightsbridge, England.
It is part of the City of Westminster in London.
Valerio arrived in London in 1986 from his native Italy, where he has already pulled out more than 50 armed robberies.
He continued his robbery career to fund his playboy lifestyle.
This time, he got help from Parvez Latif, a cocaine user acting as the managing director of the centre,
He already had a huge debt, so Valerio easily managed to get him on his side.
On the day of the robbery, Valerio and Parvez entered the bank and asked to open a safe deposit box. Once they entered the vault, both men drew handguns and overpowered the manager and all the security guards. They hung a sign on the street-level door saying the bank was temporarily closed.
And then they let in their accomplices.
The men managed to open many safe deposit boxes, stealing more than 60 million British pounds, which is close to $97 million at the 1987 exchange rate.
One hour after the robbery, the shift changed, and the new staff discovered the crime.
They alerted the police, with forensic investigators recovering a blood fingerprint tracing to Valerio.
The police started a surveillance period, which is how they managed to arrest many of his accomplices.
They carried out a series of coordinated raids on August 12, 1987.
But Valerio fled to South America, where he spent most of the time.
Then, he decided to return to England to retrieve his Ferrari Testarossa to South America.
But that is when police arrested him by blocking the road and smashing the front windscreen of his car. They dragged him out.
In the end, his playboy lifestyle cost him his freedom. After five years in a British jail, he got extradited to Pescara prison in Italy.
Thanks to an Italian policy of semi-liberty, he could do as he pleased, as long as he returned to his cell at night.
Valerio could leave his cell at 7:45am every day, and then return at night.
Once outside, he would drive to his nearby flat in his Volvo S90. He also had a Mercedes and an Audi A3 car at his property.
During his time in prison, police officers became suspicious when they spotted a stolen Lancia Thema on a dirt track in the countryside near Ascoli at 11:30 in the morning.
Valerio stood there with Mafia mobster Antonio Maletesta, when the officers stopped and asked for documents.
Antonio ran off, but Viccei pulled out his semi-automatic Magnum 357 handgun.
Policeman Enzo Baldini jumped onto him, and both men got shot. The policeman survived with minor injuries, while Valerio was dead on the spot. − www.documentarytube.com
Mathew Masinge