Ep 2. The Daring Heists of The Elusive Pink Panthers
- October 23, 2020
- 26 min
-
7.2 (16)
BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime is an ongoing documentary series that explores some of the most heinous and mysterious crimes in history. Season 7, episode 2, titled "The Daring Heists of The Elusive Pink Panthers," takes a deep dive into the infamous international jewelry theft organization known as the Pink Panthers.
The episode starts with a general overview of the Pink Panthers' crimes throughout the world. The group, which is made up of ex-soldiers, criminals, and war veterans, first appeared in 1993 in London. Since then, they have been responsible for over 500 jewelry heists in nearly 35 countries, with a stolen worth of over £350 million.
The Pink Panthers are known for their incredible daring, precision and audacity in carrying out their crimes. The episode emphasizes the long history of the group, the meticulous planning, and execution of their robberies. The focus of the episode is on three Pink Panther heists: one in Dubai, the second one in Tokyo, and the last one in Cannes.
The Dubai heist takes place in one of the most luxurious shopping centers in the world, where the Pink Panthers use their signature technique to carry out their robbery: they smash display cases with sledgehammers, grab as many valuables as possible within seconds, and escape through carefully planned escape routes. The Dubai heist is particularly notable for its grand scale as the group managed to rob a store's entire diamond collection, worth an estimated £12 million.
The second Pink Panther heist is set in Tokyo, where the group uses a technique known as 'the lost property scam' to get access to the vault of a famous jewelry store. The plan is to blur the lines between good guys and bad guys, and it works flawlessly. The Pink Panthers disguise themselves as businessmen and enter the store, posing as a customer who has lost some of their property. The store employees are solicited and request to see the CCTV footage and give access to the vault where the Pink Panthers can shuttle out with their stolen goods undetected: a haul of £1.3 million worth of pocket watches.
The third heist in Cannes, France, is one of the most daring. The Pink Panthers masquerade themselves as the entourage of a major mafia family while sneaking into a high-profile jewelry store, Chopard. However, the heist quickly turns into a game of cat and mouse, with the Pink Panthers having to evade pressure from the get-go. With cops expected to show up anytime, the Pink Panthers flee with a loot of jewels worth £85 million. A chase ensues, but the Pink Panthers slip through the fingers of the police.
The episode takes the viewers through each of the heists, detailing the Pink Panthers' modus operandi and what makes them so elusive, as they have managed to evade authorities for almost three decades. The episode also explores the impact of the Pink Panthers' crimes on society, the victims, and the countries they've targeted.
Overall, this episode of BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime provides a thrilling exploration of the Pink Panthers' audacious criminal history, their daring heists, and how they operate as a group. Fans of the true crime genre or anyone fascinated by the Pink Panthers' legendary criminal exploits, will surely find the episode engaging.