The Millennium Dome robbers wanted to go down in history as the gang who committed the biggest and most ambitious robbery of the Millennium-and they nearly did.
They never thought the police would catch them because they planned the crime and the speedboat getaway very carefully. At their trial, one of the robbers said, 'It seemed possible at the time.Now it seems like an absolutely crazy James Bond kind of thing to do'.
The attemped diamond robbery at the Millennium Dome in London was an amazing crime.The British government built the Millennium Dome to celebrate the year 2000.On of the most popular exhibitions in the Dome was a fabulous diamond collection worth 350 million pounds which included the magnificent Millennium Star diamond.The gang of five men tried to steal the diamonds.But unfortunately for the robbers, hundreds of police officers dressed as tourists and cleaners were waiting for them in the Dome when they attacked.The huge police operation organised by Scotland Yard was as amazing as the robbery itself.It was called Operation Magician and over 200 police officers took part in it.The police knew the gang were planning a big crime but they didn't know exactly what.So they followed the men for many months before the robbery.One day,they saw one of the gang visiting the Dome with his friends.He filmed the diamond exhibition with a camcorder.The police now knew what the robbers planned to do.Another time,they saw the men sailing a speedboat up and down the Thames.They guessed how the robbers planned to escape and continued to watch them very carefully.At their trial,the jury found the arrested men guilty of robbery with violence.The two gang leaders,Ray Betson and Bill Cockram,received 18-year prison sentences,and the other members of the gang received 15-year prison sentences.
Brotish people like daring crime stories and the Dome robbers are already famous.A television channel even made a film of the robbery.It seems likely these men will go down in history as the robbers who attempted one of the most daring crimes ever.
