Brink's-MAT Robbery

The Brink's-MAT robbery occurred on 26 November 1983 when six robbers broke into the Brink's-MAT warehouse at Heathrow Airport, London. At the time, it was described as "the crime of the century".

The gang gained entry to the warehouse from security guard Anthony Black. The robbers thought they were going to steal £3 million in cash. However, when they arrived, they found three tonnes of gold bullion and stole £26 million worth of gold, diamonds and cash. Once inside, they poured petrol over staff and threatened them with a lit match if they did not reveal the combination numbers of the vault.

One of the robbers, Micky McAvoy, was caught after security guard insider Black, his brother-in-law, passed his name to investigating officers. He was arrested in December 1983.

Scotland Yard quickly discovered the family connection and Black confessed to aiding and abetting the raiders, providing them with a key to the main door, and giving them details of security measures. Tried at the Old Bailey in December 1984, McAvoy was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for armed robbery, Black was sentenced to six years.

Before his conviction, McAvoy had entrusted part of his share to associates Brian Perry and George Francis. Perry recruited Kenneth Noye, who was an expert in his field, to dispose of the gold. Noye melted down the bullion and recast it for sale. However, the sudden movements of large amounts of money through a Bristol bank came to the notice of the Treasury, who informed the police. Noye was placed under police surveillance and in January 1985 killed a police officer he discovered in his garden. At the resulting trial, the jury found him not guilty on the grounds of self-defence. In 1986, Noye was found guilty of conspiracy to handle the Brink's-MAT gold, fined £700,000 and sentenced to 14 years in prison. He served seven years before being released in 1994. Francis was later murdered and McAvoy was thought to be a suspect.

Attempts by McAvoy to strike a deal to give back his share of the money in exchange for a cut in his sentence failed as by then the money had vanished. In January 1995, the High Court ordered McAvoy to make a payment of £27,488,299, making him responsible for the entire sum stolen. He was released from prison in 2000.

In 1996 Noye murdered motorist Stephen Cameron during what was reported by the media at the time as a road rage incident, but which may have been a dispute over drugs (Cameron allegedly being a small-time dealer who owed money to Noye). Noye fled the country, but was tracked down by police and arrested in Spain in 1998. He was deported to Britain, tried and convicted in 2000. He received a life sentence.

Most of the three tonnes of stolen gold has never been recovered and the other four robbers were never convicted. According to the BBC, some have claimed that anyone wearing gold jewellery bought in the UK after 1983 is probably wearing Brink's-MAT.