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BBC One's latest, The Gold, a drama series on the Brink's-Mat robbery, caused quite a stir when it was released earlier this year in February 2023. It was recently made available on the streaming giant, Paramount +, with a release date of June 25, 2023. The series stars Hugh Bonneville, Dominic Cooper, Charlotte Spencer, Sean Harris, and Jack Lowden in the leading roles and is directed by Aneil Karia and Lawrence Gough.
As per the official description,
"The series is inspired by true events surrounding the 1983 Brink's-Mat robbery, and the remarkable story that followed."
The series has garnered a positive response with an IMDb score of 7.4/10 and a rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, let's take a look at the real life incident that inspired the six-part BBC drama.
The Brink's-Mat Robbery: 5 things to know about the 1983 heist, one of the largest in British history
1) The Incident
Believed to be among the largest burglaries in British history, the Brink's-Mat robbery took place at the Brink's-Mat, also known as Unit 7 of Heathrow International Trading Estate, London, by a group of six armed men on November 26, 1983, around 6:40 am.
The theft value was recorded at a whopping £26 million back then; among the valuables stolen were gold bullion, diamonds, and cash. The amount is equivalent to £93.3 million in present-day estimations. In addition to this, the robbers also stole platinum, 1,000 carats of diamonds, and $250,000 in traveler's checks.
2) The Robbers
Reports concluded that the robbery was committed by a group of six armed men. Amongst them, only three have been recognized to date, the main accused being Micky MacAvoy, Brian Robinson, and Anthony Black. However, in the course of the case's history, fourteen people have been charged in connection with the heist,being convicted of fraudulently mishandling the stolen items and committing tax evasion.
Anthony Black was the security guard at the warehouse's vault who tipped off and aided the thieves with the robbery. It was he who first confessed to the crime in December 1983, further identifying Brian Robinson, who happened to be his sister's live-in partner. Ten days after the robbery, both Robinson and MacAvoy were arrested.
3) The accidental discovery of the 'bullion'
While the robbers were initially tipped off about the presence of foreign cash (Spanish pesetas) with a valuation of £1 million by Anthony Black, it was only at the time of the burglary that they discovered there was three tons of gold bullion stored on the premises. The bullion, which was the property of Johnson Matthey Bankers Ltd., included 6,840 bars kept in 76 cardboard boxes.
The gold had been stored at the warehouse overnight and was supposed to be transferred to Hong Kong the next day. It is believed that it was later melted down and mixed with copper coins to make it less susceptible to suspicion while being sold.
4) Kenneth Noye: The acquaintance who turned Brink's-Mat gold into cash killed a police officer
After stumbling upon three tons worth of gold bars, the thieves did not know how to convert them into cash without being suspected. Thus, they reached out to the crime boss, Kenneth Noye, brought in by McAvoy's associates Brian Perry and George Francis. It is believed that it was Noye who melted down the bullion and mixed it with copper coins to dilute its purity in order to make it less traceable. Later, the gold was sold through jewelers, who deposited the large amounts of money in banks around Bristol.
In January 1985, Noye killed undercover Detective Constable John Fordham, dressed in camouflage and a balaclava, in the ground of his home, stabbing him ten times while being placed under police surveillance. Noye later claimed that he had been attacked by Fordham first and killed him in self-defense.
5) The 'Curse of the Brink's-Mat robbery'
While the aftermath of the robbery saw lots of ups and downs, one of the most interesting phenomena that came to be associated with it is the "Curse of Brink's Mat" or "Curse of the Brink's Mat Millions," which refers to the shooting deaths of several men who were allegedly involved. These deaths were thought by members of the London criminal underworld to be related to the laundering of the gold.
Among those believed to be gripped by the curse are Charlie Wilson, Nick Whiting, Donald Urquhart, Brian Perry, and George Francis.
The BBC's The Gold (2023) drama series, which covers the Brink's-Mat robbery, is now streaming live on Paramount+.
