English crooks relieve trucks of $2.1 million in Xbox 360s

T'is the season for gift giving, friends and family, spreading yuletide cheer, and...multi-million dollar electronics heists? Proving that Monday's daring theft of over $12 million worth of motherboards and CPUs (now rumored to belong to Intel) from a Malaysian warehouse complex was no fluke, robbers in Staffordshire, England have succeeded in liberating about $2.1 million worth of Xbox 360s from a pair of delivery trucks -- in two separate incidents that occurred nearly a week apart. Although police have so far refused to make a connection between the lorryjackings, the fact that both trucks belonged to the same company -- Hellman Worldwide Logistics -- suggests that the bandits found security so lax on the first go-round that they decided to strike again while the iron was hot. According to reports, the most recent heist began after thieves tricked the truck driver into pulling over due to an object caught under his wheels, where they proceeded to drag him out of the cab, deliver a beating, and leave him injured on the side of the highway. Police are also speculating that, despite their success, the robbers were still of below-average intelligence, which is the only explanation as to why they would try to jack Xbox's instead of the much more lucrative PS3. And, in completely unrelated news, Amazon was somehow able to offer 1,000 360s yesterday for only $100 each.

[Via digg]

[Jonhimslf @ Nov 24th 2006 3:57PM]

I had a funny feeling about that Amazon deal... they were so sure that the heist would go down as planned that they had the sale even before acquiring all of the Xboxs!! Wow!... haha

[Mike @ Nov 24th 2006 4:00PM]

two words: inside job

[Rex @ Nov 24th 2006 4:04PM]

Um I think that Amazon Xbox thing was a hoax because their site wouldn't even load during the top hour that they were to sell the systems!

[anon @ Nov 24th 2006 5:31PM]

People like you crack me up. It was not a hoax, you stupid piece of manure. What is a hoax, however, is your brain!

[Neebs @ Nov 24th 2006 4:05PM]

What the bloody hell do you do with $2.1 million in Xbox 360s?

[Noam @ Nov 24th 2006 4:20PM]

You sell them to people who will accept them.

@Liam

2,100,000 / 300 = 7000

About 7,000 Xbox core systems.

[alex @ Nov 24th 2006 4:07PM]

damn...indeed, an inside job. Cool job btw :D

[Liam @ Nov 24th 2006 4:07PM]

so how many 360s is that?

[emmzee @ Nov 24th 2006 4:09PM]

"below-average intelligence, which is the only explanation as to why they would try to jack Xbox's instead of the much more lucrative PS3"

Erm, maybe it's because the security on PS3's probably a LOT tighter? They seemed to pull this off pretty easily ... might not have gone so smoothly had they gone after PS3's. $2.1million ain't bad! :o

[MASA @ Nov 24th 2006 4:13PM]

They were able to make it only 100 dollars by jacking up the prices of the PS3 and Wii

The wii was 800 dollars
and the PS3 was 2000 dollars at the time of the promo

[Robin Moncaster @ Nov 24th 2006 4:13PM]

The UK doesn't have any deliverys of the PS3 till March time before they are released.


Lucky Yanks.

[skimber @ Nov 24th 2006 4:15PM]

Good luck trying to hijack a lorry full of PS3's in England!

[RokSteady @ Nov 24th 2006 4:16PM]

awesome pic, that must've hurt alot.

[mespinosam @ Nov 24th 2006 5:06PM]

i believe its a scene from T3

[tw @ Nov 27th 2006 1:30PM]

No way, that's from Heat!

[TS @ Nov 24th 2006 4:20PM]

Hilarious tie-in to Amazon, guys! I just about fell out of my chair when I read that last line. :)

[Steve Handjobs @ Nov 24th 2006 4:23PM]

Apparently Microsoft has offered the same hijackers $2.1 million to take a truckload of Zunes off their hands...

[funkycoldm3dina @ Nov 24th 2006 4:26PM]

i remember about a couple of years ago when a supply of nike footwear was stolen in the uk. I was then offered a pair of nike trainers from a guy at work who was selling some footwear for about �40. He told me that he knew the guys who did the heist and that he was selling them for a mate. I told him to go and stick it wear the sun doesn't shine.

[3dd13 @ Nov 24th 2006 4:26PM]

Ha ha, nice amazon comment.

[idude135 @ Nov 24th 2006 4:35PM]

Perhaps this heist was orchestrated by CompUSA?

[G. McKinnie @ Nov 24th 2006 4:40PM]

Wow.

[Hans @ Nov 24th 2006 4:43PM]

Is that screencap from an Alias episode?

[Kenny @ Nov 27th 2006 12:35PM]

its from the movie HEAT with Val Kilmer, Robert DiNero, Al Pachino, and many others, it is a GREAT movie.

[Earl @ Nov 24th 2006 4:54PM]

"Police are also speculating that, despite their success, the robbers were still of below-average intelligence, which is the only explanation as to why they would try to jack Xbox's instead of the much more lucrative PS3."

Is PS3 even out in Europe to hijack?
Cops are smart...

[R. De Niro @ Nov 24th 2006 4:54PM]

The screenshot is from "Heat".

[Ben Lawson @ Nov 24th 2006 4:57PM]

I remember when everyone was stealing 16 MB RAM sticks...

[cwerdna @ Nov 25th 2006 2:52AM]

Yeah, that and when computer stores were also being robbed at gunpoint for CPUs. I wonder if this is still happening.

[Raikage @ Nov 24th 2006 5:16PM]

Is that why Engadget is giving away a 360...hummmmm
P.S. Give me one...I won't tell anyone. LOL

The Raikage

[Joe @ Nov 24th 2006 5:25PM]

Damn,
I have been reading engadget for over a year now, and I never thought in a million years would lil' old Staffordshire, England would make it on amongst the rest of the great stuff on here- so much seems to go on over your side of the pond and in Japan.
This took place 5 miles up the road from my house, and theres been tons of media coverage and excitement (not much goes on here that is worthy of regional news, let alone national, let alone engadget etc...), a pretty good boost for 360 sales in the area.
The general public and not just the self confessed geeks/gamers getting interested in the 360..not exactly how Microsoft would have imagined increased sales, but good nonetheless...

(Btw anyone seen the behind the new Halo 3 screenies? *salivates*)

peace from cold, rainy england.
joe

[smatts @ Nov 24th 2006 5:30PM]

$2,100,000 = 7,000 core systems, or 5 gamestop bundles

[Anthony @ Nov 24th 2006 5:52PM]

I got one of the 1000 from Amazon...

Will i soon be playing with stolen merchandise?

hehehe

[yuvister @ Nov 24th 2006 5:52PM]

The screen cap is from the LA crime drama HEAT, correctly pointed out earlier... just for those of you who were wondering!

[breakers @ Nov 24th 2006 8:46PM]

I live near nearby, A lot of police around!!!
No use now as I bet most of 360's are wrapped up ready for Christmas!!

[124C41 @ Nov 24th 2006 9:03PM]

Earl, the cops know all about the robbers having a time machine that would let them hop to spring 2007 and steal the PS3s. Nothing dumb about those cops!

Actually, I'll bet that "quote" was created by a journalist who was knowledgeable about the PS3 but NOT about the delayed distribution of them. I doubt that the cops know what a "PS3" is, or whether the PS2, PS3, or PS4 is available in Britain.

[Mark @ Nov 24th 2006 9:44PM]

Ahh..."Heat" what a great guy movie and screen-cap for the article.

[tosh @ Nov 24th 2006 10:21PM]

as said, they would have a job to jack a lorry load of ps3 in the uk seeing as they are not released here till march! :-)

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 24th 2006 10:28PM]

Following the logic of the Anit-Sony squad:

OMFG! How could Microsoft let us down like this? I mean, they should have had armed guards on these trucks with all that money sitting there. Yet another reason that Microsoft lies to us all! They will probably tell us that this shipment impaired thier supply of 360's this year and will continue to spread false rumors! PS3 FTW!!

[JBobChi @ Nov 24th 2006 10:38PM]

me please

[PhatBoyG @ Nov 24th 2006 11:07PM]

Nice shot from Heat, too bad Miami Vice was pathetic.

2.1 million, I think that's quite a bit more than the million.5 in bearer bonds that Dinero and crew got from that armored truck.

2.1 million / $300 (since Amazon offered up the core system) makes a good 7000 systems but Amazon only had 1000? Sounds like people better be nervous about eBay too.

[Carbonize @ Nov 25th 2006 12:22AM]

As already stated we don't have the PS3 in the UK yet so they would of had to be miracle workers to hijack a shipment of them.

Oh and we don't have highways in the UK ;)

[Ryan @ Nov 25th 2006 3:36AM]

Has Dominic Toretto surfaced in England? I knew this would happen when Brian let him go. Oh wait, that was a movie. Life imitates art. Did the thieves use a bunch of black civics to hijack the trucks?

[tekdroid @ Nov 25th 2006 6:47AM]

Upon pulling over he was taken from the driving seat, beaten and left on the side of the A38 at 5am on Monday morning.
-----------
My condolences to the driver and his family. The guy must be in a world of shock. Just tying to earn a living and to have this happen. :(

[daniel.ray @ Nov 25th 2006 12:28PM]

Love the props to "Heat" with the screen capture, one of the greatest movies ever.

[Nick @ Nov 26th 2006 6:40AM]

"Around $1.9M USD worth of Microsoft Xbox 360 game consoles have been stolen from a U.K. depot center located in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. An initial shipment of consoles worth $1.4M USD was stolen from a depot center. Police later revealed that there was another theft on Thursday morning after two vehicles flagged down a truck that was carrying around $500,000 worth of Xbox consoles.

According to U.K. police, At least three men, believed to be driving a Range Rover and Rover Saloon, were involved with the truck jacking. Police have successfully recovered the stolen truck. An investigation is underway to see if the two thefts are related.

Police believe the consoles are being stolen so that they can be sold on the black market for the Christmas holiday shopping season. The Xbox 360 retails from $386 to $579 in the UK and is a top choice for consumers, according to The Times of London.

The police have made statements to the public warning them that anyone purchasing stolen consoles could find that their warranty is no longer valid. Also, the Staffordshire police department put out the following statement to viewers in the UK: "We are appealing for information from anyone who is offered games in suspicious circumstances, such as in a pub, at a car boot sale or off the back of a lorry."

Approximately 4,000 consoles were stolen in the heist by rough estimates. "


I'm from Lichfield - I'll keep my eye open for these on the street.. will report back ;)