DECEMBER 10, 1968

This week marks the 50th anniversary of one of the world’s greatest unsolved robberies, which has left Japanese authorities searching for answers.

Taking place on the morning of December 10 1968, what is now known as the 300 Million Yen Robbery was the singlelargest heist in Japan’s history.

In Toyko, four employees of the Kokubunji branch of the Nihon Shintaku Ginko Bank loaded metal boxes with 294,307,500 yen in staff bonuses, and set off to transport the money in a company car.

They were soon stopped by a uniformed police officer riding a motorcycle, who informed them their branch manager’s house had been blown up and it was possible that dynamite had been placed under their vehicle, too.

The bank workers vacated the car, allowing the officer to inspect the undercarriage.

Suddenly, flames and smoke started to appear and the policeman rolled out, shouting there would be an explosion.

But when the bank workers backed away, the police officer jumped into the driver’s seat and sped away. The money was never seen again.

Today, the booty is worth almost £2.1million.