The British Bank of the Middle East robbery

In 1976, when Lebanon was in the midst of a civil war, a group of robbers decided to cash in on the confusion.

In one of the most brazen robberies of all time, the group used explosives to burst through the wall of a Catholic church and enter the neighboring British Bank of the Middle East. They brought with them professional locksmiths to crack open the vault.

The robbers made off with $44.5 million in cash, stocks, gold bars, jewels and other valuables. None of the loot was recovered and no one was arrested. Today, the stolen goods are worth more than three times their value in 1976