Mystery shrouds colossal Brink's heist at I-5 truck stop: Who stole millions in gems, gold?

[IcyPeas]

...
Then there is the case of the heist earlier this month at the Flying J truck stop along Interstate 5 in the Grapevine.

In the early hours of July 11, two armed guards left their Brink’s big rig, giving a gang of thieves a 27-minute window to make the huge snatch, its total value still a mystery. Estimates range from $10 million to $100 million.

The team of burglars bypassed the truck’s locking mechanism and used the storage containers to haul away precious gems, gold and other valuables from a Brink’s tractor-trailer, say multiple law enforcement sources not authorized to discuss the crime.

How much the thieves netted during the 2 a.m. snatch is hotly debated. Brink’s said it was less than $10 million based on the insurance. A federal law enforcement source and some associated with the International Gem and Jewelry Show world said the total appears to be closer to $100 million.

“We are looking at more than $100 million in documented losses,” he said. “This was an absolutely huge crime. One of the largest jewelry heists ever. We are talking gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and loads of luxury watches.”

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-07-22/who-stole-millions-in-jewels-in-brinks-heist-5-freeway-truck-stop

No paywall
https://web.archive.org/web/20220724031702/

[COL Mustard]

1. Sounds like someone knew

What was on the truck.

[PCIntern]

2. It was obviously

Col.Mustard in the Library with the Candlestick.

[COL Mustard]

4. Darn. Now what am I going to do with all those

Diamonds?!?!?

[multigraincracker]

3. D B Cooper

is still alive.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

5. I know exactly where that truck stop is

and I swear I was nowhere near there on July 11th.

[DFW]

6. Whoever did this job knew exactly what they were doing

They knew the tech specs of the truck, when it was going to be where, and how much in loot to expect. It's possible they had someone place a tracking device somewhere on the truck, which was then removed during the heist, to obscure how its location was known.

Individual proprietors of high value/low margin businesses like these often under-declare the value of their stock when shipping for the sole reason that insurance is very expensive--though not as expensive as it will be after this heist. They ship with reliable security firms like Brinks, which are also expensive, precisely because they ARE reliable.

An individual dealer with a stock worth maybe $4 million clears maybe 5%, or $200,000 after expenses, in a year, minus insurance premiums. If insurance costs $175,000 on $4 million, the dealer can't survive, so he declares a tenth of that as the value, and insures accordingly. If a quarter of his stock consists of consignments from other dealers or private individuals--often the case--, he is responsible to them for the full agreed-upon amount, no matter what he insured them for. In such a scenario, he would get $400,000 back from the insurance company, but still owe $1 million to the people from whom he accepted the consignments, and thus be wiped out, and then some. I am just picking numbers out of the air, as I know nothing about the real costs of watches or jewelry, or insurance for same, but I do know the mechanics of how the business works.

If the total value were $10 million, the heist planners wouldn't be left with much more than pocket money after paying off their professional thieves, tech experts, fences and inside informants. Silence is golden, but it is also expensive. If any of the team is caught, and faces years in prison (if caught in the States--in Europe, they often let thieves go), they will shut up if a fortune is waiting for them when they get out. Figure $100 million is closer to the mark. It will take time to sell off easily identifiable high value gems and watches. Top watches often have serial numbers micro-engraved inside somewhere. These days, so do even some gemstones. Experts will be needed to do alterations to make the loot even saleable. If these experts are from outside the country, they need to be brought in, housed, workshops set up, and silence bought. They might not be listed in the Wall Street Journal or pay taxes, but this is big business nonetheless. They have a massive cash outlay out front, and ongoing costs that have to be covered, along with potential losses along the way, due to discovery or other thieves. The heist is only a stage of the whole operation. Maybe you don't need an MBA to plan something like this, but it will not be something that was thought up on the spur of them moment the weekend prior, with no regard to investment and return on same.

[msfiddlestix]

8. Very informative, enlightening Thank you...

Had no idea of the logistics/mechanics involved with a heist of this kind of 'loot'



Interesting side note you mentioned. Thieves in Europe are often let go. Rather curious!!

[Doc Sportello]

9. Thanks

As the other poster wrote, very informative and enlightening. Especially the "in Europe they let them go" part. I've always wanted a European vacation paid for by a big heist. Let's talk ...

[LisaL]

7. What is the point of having armed guards if they just

leave the truck un-attended?

[Kingofalldems]

10. Is this the mastermind?

[SharonClark]

11. Looking forward to the movie.

I see. . .
Mike Pence and Matt Gaetz as the guards,
Margie and Bobbert as the gun-toting molls,
Josh Hawley as the chicken who ran away from the truck after hitching a ride,
but who to play the mastermind?