Sean Flynn

Four. They robbed four banks to have something to do. And then, Monday, May 19th, 1980, showtime. Martin and Bjorn had parked one of their stolen cars in a little courtyard where the police would load the cash into their station wagon. They were out on the street, watching, waiting. They saw the police car, the one that would pick up the money, pull into the courtyard.

Four. They robbed four banks to have something to do. And then, Monday, May 19th, 1980, showtime. Martin and Bjorn had parked one of their stolen cars in a little courtyard where the police would load the cash into their station wagon. They were out on the street, watching, waiting. They saw the police car, the one that would pick up the money, pull into the courtyard.

Martin demanded the key to the loaded-up station wagon, then got behind the wheel.

Martin demanded the key to the loaded-up station wagon, then got behind the wheel.

They went screaming through the streets of Drammen. Martin in a stolen police car, blue lights flashing, Bjorn following in a stolen car, like a reverse police chase. But... No one chased after them. Really. By coincidence, half the city's police force, half, was at a training seminar three hours away. There simply weren't enough cops to chase the bad guys.

They went screaming through the streets of Drammen. Martin in a stolen police car, blue lights flashing, Bjorn following in a stolen car, like a reverse police chase. But... No one chased after them. Really. By coincidence, half the city's police force, half, was at a training seminar three hours away. There simply weren't enough cops to chase the bad guys.

Martin and Bjorn drove to where they'd stashed another one of their stolen cars, one the police haven't seen them driving.

Martin and Bjorn drove to where they'd stashed another one of their stolen cars, one the police haven't seen them driving.

The police waved on this nice lady and her dog. They drove a bit further, stashed the money somewhere safe, then split up. They caught separate trains to Oslo.

The police waved on this nice lady and her dog. They drove a bit further, stashed the money somewhere safe, then split up. They caught separate trains to Oslo.

And there were six more sacks. Altogether, they'd stolen 10 million kroner. Adjusted for inflation, that's 7.5 million American dollars.

And there were six more sacks. Altogether, they'd stolen 10 million kroner. Adjusted for inflation, that's 7.5 million American dollars.

If you rob a central bank branch, there's a decent chance you're going to get a lot of currency just entering circulation. Crisp new bills. All of them will have a serial number, likely sequential ones, and the bank will know what those numbers are. Sometimes those bills will be from the same press run. Martin did not see that coming.

If you rob a central bank branch, there's a decent chance you're going to get a lot of currency just entering circulation. Crisp new bills. All of them will have a serial number, likely sequential ones, and the bank will know what those numbers are. Sometimes those bills will be from the same press run. Martin did not see that coming.

Martin thought about it and decided his best course of action would be to take those new, numbered Norwegian bills to Switzerland and exchange them for Swiss francs, bills that had not been stolen and wouldn't draw suspicion when he spent them. He ran that idea past Bjorn.

Martin thought about it and decided his best course of action would be to take those new, numbered Norwegian bills to Switzerland and exchange them for Swiss francs, bills that had not been stolen and wouldn't draw suspicion when he spent them. He ran that idea past Bjorn.

Not all the money they stole was brand new, so they split it up in such a way that Martin had all the new bills and Bjorn could walk away whole. But then Martin realized there's another complication, a sharp edge that needed to be sanded down. If spending those pristine new bills in Tonesburg would be suspicious, cashing in thousands of them at Swiss banks would be a screaming alarm.

Not all the money they stole was brand new, so they split it up in such a way that Martin had all the new bills and Bjorn could walk away whole. But then Martin realized there's another complication, a sharp edge that needed to be sanded down. If spending those pristine new bills in Tonesburg would be suspicious, cashing in thousands of them at Swiss banks would be a screaming alarm.

So Martin used a little theater magic. He made them look old.

So Martin used a little theater magic. He made them look old.