Angola & the world’s biggest bank heist – The Wall Street Journal

DUBLIN – Sometimes, it turns out life imitates art – specifically, the Ocean's Eleven movie franchise. Below, you can read the almost unbelievable story of what would have been one of the world's biggest-ever bank heists. The heist, planned by a global cast of characters, targeted the Angolan central bank and would have seen the African nation robbed of hundreds of millions of dollars. It was foiled, incredibly, by a diligent bank teller in suburban London. In line with anti-money laundering laws, which are usually more honoured in the breach than in the observance, the teller reported a suspicious transaction to her superiors and kicked off an investigation that would span continents. The case is unfolding in courtrooms in the UK and in Angola, and details how global authorities are trying to combat the kind of corruption that South Africans know all too well. – Felicity Duncan  

The $500 Million Central Bank Heist—and How It Was Foiled

By Margot Patrick, Gabriele Steinhauser and Patricia Kowsmann

An accountant walked up to a teller at a suburban London branch of HSBC Holdings and asked to transfer $2 million to Japan. The teller pulled up the account and stared at her screen. There was $500 million in the account.

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