GREAT BRITAIN LOTS OF LOOT IN BRITISH MOVIES, CRIME USUALLY PAYS HANDSOMELY 
AT LEAST IF THE CROOK IS A DEAR OLD CRANK WHOSE 
ONLY MOTIVE IS TO RAISE SOME LOLLY FOR THE LEAGUE AGAINST 
CRUEL SPORTS . IN REAL LIFE, LARCENY IS EVEN MORE LUCRATIVE 
FOR THE PROFESSIONAL WHO SPECIALIZES IN THE SOPHISTICATED JOBS THAT THE 
ENGLISH CALL " YANKEE-STYLE " CRIME . ROBBERIES ALONE HAVE SOARED 
BY MORE THAN 200 PER CENT (TO SOME $5,000,000 YEARLY) IN 
METROPOLITAN LONDON OVER THE PAST DECADE, WHILE PAYROLL THEFTS HAVE GONE 
UP ALMOST 500 PER CENT SINCE 1960 . CHIEF REASON FOR 
THE INCREASE IN " SNATCHINGS AND RAKINGS, " AS SCOTLAND YARD 
CALLS THEM, IS THAT THE UNDERWORLD IS NOW MANAGED BY EXECUTIVES 
WITH A FLAIR FOR ORGANIZATION THAT OUTSTRIPS THE SLEUTHS . THEY 
ALSO HAVE STYLE . IN THE PAST YEAR ONE GANG HAS 
MADE FREQUENT HEADLINES BY KNOWLEDGEABLE THEFTS OF PRICELESS SILVER FROM STATELY 
HOMES, WHOSE DOUGHTY WALLS, IT SEEMS, SCARCELY QUIVER WHEN BURGLARS BLAST 
OPEN THE PANTRY SAFE . ONE VICTIM, THE MARQUESS OF BRISTOL, 
LEARNED RECENTLY THAT $56,000 WORTH OF SILVER PINCHED FROM HIS MANSION 
LAST FEBRUARY IS NOW IN RUSSIA . ANOTHER UNDERWORLD SPECTACULAR THAT 
FASCINATED BRITONS WAS CARRIED OUT LAST YEAR BY EIGHT DAPPER DASTARDS 
IN BOWLER HATS, AND DARK SUITS AND CARRYING TIGHTLY FURLED UMBRELLAS, 
WHO MARCHED INTO LONDON AIRPORT, GRABBED A $175,000 AIRLINE PAYROLL, AND 
BEAT AN ELEGANT RETREAT IN TWO MATCHING BLUE JAGUARS . LAST 
WEEK BRITONS COULD TALK OF LITTLE ELSE BUT A COOL LITTLE 
COUP IN WHICH FOUR MEN SWIPED A HALF-TON OF GOLD FROM 
A FINANCIAL-DISTRICT BULLION WAREHOUSE IN THE LUNCH HOUR . AFTER TYING 
UP A WATCHMAN, THE VILLAINS NONCHALANTLY LUGGED FORTY 27-LB . GOLD 
BARS WORTH $560,000 ACROSS A SIDEWALK INTO A BLUE DELIVERY VAN, 
THEN MADE A CLEAN GETAWAY DESPITE A TRAFFIC-STOPPING DASH THE WRONG 
WAY ON A ONE-WAY STREET . HOPING TO KEEP THE CULPRITS 
FROM LEAVING THE COUNTRY, SCOTLAND YARD POSTED MEN AT EVERY AIRFIELD 
AND SEAPORT IN BRITAIN . FLYING-SQUAD OFFICERS CHECKED EVERY SMALL FOUNDRY 
IN LONDON ON THE OFF-CHANCE THAT THEY MIGHT NAB THE GANG 
IN THE ACT OF MELTING THEIR HAUL INTO EASILY PORTABLE NUGGETS 
. AT WEEK'S END THE NEW LAVENDER HILL MOB, AS FLEET 
STREET INEVITABLY CHRISTENED IT, WAS STILL AT LARGE PROBABLY, GUESSED SCOTLAND 
YARD, HOLED UP WITHIN METROPOLITAN LONDON . UNLIKE ALEC GUINNESS' MOB, 
WHICH MELTED DOWN ITS LOOT INTO SOLD-GOLD EIFFEL TOWER SOUVENIRS AND 
SHIPPED THEM TO PARIS, THE REAL-LIFE QUARTET PROBABLY AIMED TO EXPORT 
ITS BULLION TO INDIA, WHERE GOLD FETCHES TWICE THE WORLD MARKET 
PRICE . " I SEE NO REASON WHY THEY SHOULD BE 
CAUGHT, " SAID ONE EXPERT . " THEY HAVE A MARKET 
FOR IT ALL READY . IT'S THAT KIND OF JOB . 
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