Who robbed the Northern Bank?

**fosterdollar** · 21/12/2004, 12:22 PM

Estimates of up to EUR45 million stolen in bank heist This was some score if they get away with it.

**A face** · 21/12/2004, 4:21 PM

They are saying that it'll be hard to move that much money, seeing as Northern Ireland is so small !! .... Anyone that did that job have thought about that already.

Question is .... they might have all that money, but will they be happy .... i know i sure as hell would !!

Anyone know how much the banks in Cork City carry at any one time ???

**joeSoap** · 21/12/2004, 4:54 PM

Thats an amazing amount of money, and by the sounds of it, the money would have been shipped across the water immediately, and distributed there.

What a coup....Maybe it was the directors of Linfield fc, and they're gonna try and sign Ronaldinho..

**fosterdollar** · 22/12/2004, 8:56 AM

Originally Posted by joeSoap

Thats an amazing amount of money, and by the sounds of it, the money would have been shipped across the water immediately, and distributed there.

There's an element of difficulty in that given that each country in the UK has its own banknotes and it is duly noted when you try and use one type in another country. But i do agree that whoever did it has probably got lots of ways of putting it to use planned already

**Lionel Ritchie** · 22/12/2004, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Magoo

There's an element of difficulty in that given that each country in the UK has its own banknotes and it is duly noted when you try and use one type in another country. But i do agree that whoever did it has probably got lots of ways of putting it to use planned already

Hmmm ...did someone say "IRA retirement fund"?

45 million bucks buys a lot of Donegal beachfront territory.

**Aberdonian Stu** · 22/12/2004, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Magoo

There's an element of difficulty in that given that each country in the UK has its own banknotes and it is duly noted when you try and use one type in another country. But i do agree that whoever did it has probably got lots of ways of putting it to use planned already

The banknotes won't be as big a problem as you think. There are generic ones, like the ones you get at your bureau de change, and if the score contains plenty of these the only problem they'll have is laundering it.

**liam88** · 22/12/2004, 9:10 PM

Terrible goings on; terrible for the victims (hostages) and may have serious aaffect on the peace process if there was paramillitary involvements.

PSNI have stated they are follwing up lines of inquiry on two external gangs, INLA, IRA and UDA.

Possibly set up a vote on who people think it was?

**finlma** · 22/12/2004, 9:45 PM

I think its great and well pulled off. You have to admire how they did it. No one was injured and they got away with 22mil. Heist of the century. Sounds like the law don't have a clue who did it.

I often wondered if I spent 4 years planning a big bank robbery instead of going to university what would have happened.

It wasn't me by the way

**MariborKev** · 22/12/2004, 10:16 PM

Ollie Byrne

*Maribor would like to state that in the event of any future lawsuit, any likeness to Shelbourne's CEOs, dead or alive, is merely coincidental

**Beavis** · 22/12/2004, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by finlma

I think its great and well pulled off. You have to admire how they did it. No one was injured and they got away with 22mil. Heist of the century. Sounds like the law don't have a clue who did it.

Agreed if your cute enough to get away with a motha fooker like that I say fair play to them.

**�anna** · 22/12/2004, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by finlma

I No one was injured

one woman was blindfolded for hours. Many people would rather have got a few slaps. it must have been traumatic

**liam88** · 22/12/2004, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by �anna

one woman was blindfolded for hours. Many people would rather have got a few slaps. it must have been traumatic

Aye-PSNI also said the perpetrators would have killed anyone not complying (ok...if they don't know who id it how do they know what they would have done? fair play). But still the woman was blindfolded-driven to a meadow and left there while, in typical paramilitarry style, they burnt her car. She then had to walk miles to the nearest house (think this was in Lock Neagh are) soaking wet an suffering from exposure

**finlma** · 22/12/2004, 10:50 PM

Still - she wasn't really injured. A few emotional scars maybe but that will pass with time.
It was a bit of a mastermind to pull the robbery off - especially when there was 20 people involved. Wouldn't mind a piece of that pie.

**�anna** · 22/12/2004, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by finlma

Still - she wasn't really injured. A few emotional scars maybe but that will pass with time.

you reckon? I'd say that woman will be traumatised for years. Whats worse in your book- a belt over the back of the head and a few hours unconscious, followed by a day or two in hospital and no memory of what happened. Or being petrified every time your doorbell rings and being afraid to go out on your own? I'd take belt over the back of the head any day!

**liam88** · 22/12/2004, 11:06 PM

wern't there children held hostage as well?

PSNI are very keen to stress that this is not a victimless crime

**dahamsta** · 22/12/2004, 11:52 PM

It was me. I'm having Foot.ie gold-plated.

**M@ttitude** · 23/12/2004, 2:34 AM

Breaking News, the blindfolded women was behind the whole thing! Traumatised me ar$e..

thecorner · 23/12/2004, 3:19 AM

from www.breakingnews.ie

The gang behind the Northern Bank heist may be forced to dump more than half the cash, it emerged tonight.

Police chiefs hunting the robbers revealed most of the missing money is made up in new notes.

Money laundering experts in Britain believe it will be virtually impossible to shift the cash without raising suspicions.

With police refusing to rule out republican or loyalist paramilitary involvement in the raid, Jeffrey Robinson said: �If they are smart they will take the US dollars and euro that are there and burn the rest.�
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brilliant country, even helping them along the way

**fosterdollar** · 23/12/2004, 8:55 AM

I've heard reports though that the notes are mainly Northern Ireland ones. They have 40 detectives working on the case now. There will a lot of pressure on the PSNI to have something to show for after this

**fosterdollar** · 23/12/2004, 9:01 AM

THE gang responsible for the world's biggest bank robbery may be unable to dispose of three-quarters of their loot.

The haul from the Northern Bank cash holding centre in Belfast was last night officially estimated at �32m. But the raiders, despite the meticulous planning and audacious methods employed to acquire the money, have yet to overcome their biggest obstacle - spending the loot without being caught.

It emerged yesterday that �18m was made up of new Northern Bank �20 and �10 notes, while another �2.25m consisted of new Northern Bank �100 and �50 notes. The bank will have full details of the serial numbers of the notes, rendering it effectively useless.

Another �5.1m was in used Northern Bank notes, which will be almost impossible to spend or launder without immediately arousing suspicion outside Northern Ireland.

This leaves the gang with only �7.5m in used notes from other banks and even then disposing of it is no longer an easy task because of the activities of bodies, such as the Assets Recovery Agency in the North and the Criminal Assets Bureau on this side of the brder.

As more details of the elaborately planned robbery were revealed yesterday, it emerged the gang were "forensically aware", dressing one woman hostage in blue overalls and trainers to help avoid leaving traces and cleaning up carefully to prevent fingerprints being left behind.

While questioning the two bank officials separately, the gang also displayed extensive knowledge of the layout of the bank building and its internal security system.

Inquiries so far have confirmed initial suspicions that the gang had inside information on how to overcome the obstacles mounted by the security procedures and alarms as well as the battery of CCTV cameras.