Thank you for posting that millededge. I think it'd not be possible to realistically profit from breaking into any of the vaults even if they are full of hundreds of tonnes of 99.9% wt gold: -Preparation and Penetration *I'd forget any attempt at 'soft' penetration by social engineering (vis a vie Hollywood) since the controls likely rely on non-reproducible credentials (biometrics instead of keys and passwords). *Same goes for clandestine penetrations. The skill and technological sophistication required would be beyond phenomenal. *That leaves a 'hard' frontal assault, based around a 'core' team of vault breakers and surrounded by rings of mercenaries whose sole purpose is to fight a delay action for the vault breakers to get through. *You can forget the US Bullion Depository at Fort Knox since they have an armored division based less than five kilometers away, with at least a battalion of combat-ready troops and vehicles. ---Intelligence Services--- *While the 'sponsors' gather a team of specialists and mercenaries, it'd likely attract unwelcome attention. *Persons of the required skill and caliber are probably on a continual watch-list with the intelligence services, and any coordinated effort to contact these persons will bring up red flags all over. *Attempting to acquire the specialist hardware for vault breaking would definitely trigger red flags, and give the game away. -Logistics: Transport & Concealing Lets say 2,000 mercenaries are engaging law enforcement/military units outside the vault engaging in a stalling retreat action. Lets say your 'inside' intelligence is impeccable and your safe crackers/penetrators break down the formerly 'impenetrable' doors. What are you going to use to transport hundreds of tonnes of gold bullion? ou'd face the same security concerns as the original owners, only you'd be dealing with everything from hundreds of pursuers, UAVs with ground-penetrating radar and maybe even orbital surveillance. Or how about a dozen slightly underweight gold bullion blocks with embedded GPS tracking devices? For arguments sake dozens of specially modified APCs (more prep. time, plus how do you get them into the country?) and scatter them in a dozen directions and most manage to evade detection. -Logistics: Redistribution Holding hundreds of tonnes of gold is not realistic, and the mercs are the ones holding the gold. Whats to stop them from double/triple crossing the 'sponsors'? Its entirely possible to render gold unrecognizable - just melt it down. It can be done with minimal sophistication in a 'backyard' furnace. While 1000+ independents trying to fence a hundred tonnes of gold in the black/gray markets would depress gold dollar price worldwide for years.
the source read behind the Antwerp diamond heist is great - well worth a read. Has the makings of a good movie conversion I think
