In 2015 police in London were puzzled by a massive heist: over the Easter long weekend thieves lowered themselves down an elevator shaft, drilled into a massive vault, and emptied the contents of dozens of safety deposit boxes.

They made off with a vast amount of jewels, cash, and personal mementoesh initially estimated at $370 million, but later pared down to a still substantial 14 million pounds, or roughly CDN $26 million.

But within a matter of weeks police arrested nine elderly men, seven of whom were convicted within a year and sentenced to years in prison.

Dan Bilefsky said the men behind the Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary "were the last great analog criminals of the digital age, and it showed itself in the way the heist happened."

"They studied the book 'Forensics for Dummies' in order to prepare for the heist and I think that's why in a way the book and the story has resonated for many people," said Bilefsky.

"They were trying to do something extraordinary."

 

For more, watch the interview with Dan Bilefsky.