Buzz
Theft is as omnipresent as the kitchen cockroach. But petty shoplifters and office supply snatchers are nothing compared to the world’s most eccentric criminals and their sidekicks. Some individuals seek to own the extraordinary, swiping sharks or re-enacting video game heists inside stolen planes. Others are driven purely by greed. Organized gangs have figured out that bizarre schemes can be quite lucrative—trafficking in bridges and trees, all while funding their misdeeds with avocados.
10. Apple Enthusiast – Hacked Client Data
An Australian teenager had a deep admiration for Apple. At 16, he dreamt of one day becoming part of the tech giant’s trillion-dollar empire. However, his obsession and hacking skills led him down a path of disaster for both himself and Apple.
For almost a year, the teen infiltrated the company’s mainframe, making off with 90 gigabytes of sensitive data, including customer accounts and top-secret files. In 2018, Apple discovered the breach, and instead of offering him a job, they called in the FBI. The Bureau handed him over to the Australian authorities, who raided his home. Ironically, the crime was carried out using several Apple laptops.
The teenager, whose identity remained confidential due to his age, appeared before a children's court. He admitted to the crime, but his confession did little to sway Apple. The breach was particularly embarrassing, especially given that the hacker had roamed undetected through their files for months. Apple’s only public response was a statement assuring customers that their data remained secure.
9. Ant – The World’s Tiniest Diamond Thief
A peculiar video took the internet by storm in 2018. The footage depicted a diamond theft, but this wasn’t your typical heist. The thief? An ant. The person who filmed the clip had placed tiny diamonds on a desk blotter. A curious ant approached, seized one of the gems, and scurried off.
The suspenseful chase lasted for a mere 47 seconds. Well, it wasn’t exactly a chase—just a camera recording while the ant nudged and dragged the diamond around. The video cuts off abruptly, leaving the outcome unknown. Perhaps the person filming decided it was time to reclaim the gem. Let’s hope the crafty ant wasn’t arrested and could go on to star in more viral videos.
When experts analyzed the footage, they couldn’t identify the species of the thief. While some ants are strong enough to carry objects many times their size, it was still remarkable that the tiny insect managed to grip the smooth diamond so firmly in its mandibles. What motivated the ant to snatch the diamond remains a mystery. One theory suggests that the gem might have been coated in a chemical that smelled edible.
8. Cosmetic Patient – A Case of Surgically-Induced Kleptomania
In 2016, a 40-year-old woman sought cosmetic surgery, but no one could have foreseen the unexpected aftermath. The patient underwent a tummy tuck, arm lift, breast augmentation, and liposuction. The Brazilian mother was in good enough health to be discharged from the hospital just days after the procedures.
Soon after, she began experiencing intense urges of kleptomania. The overwhelming compulsion to steal became the only way she could find any relief. At one point, she swiped a low-cost item even though she could afford it, got caught, and was taken to the police station. By then, doctors realized that something had gone wrong during her surgery. They clarified to the officers that she wasn’t a criminal—she had sustained a brain injury.
The operation had caused blood flow to be restricted, which damaged the area of the brain that controls impulse regulation. Fortunately, things took a turn for the better. The woman was released, and her kleptomania faded away after a few weeks. The damage to her brain was temporary, thankfully.
7. Pastry Smuggler – The Tale of 1,020 Cakes
David Lliviganay had a passion for stealing cakes. In fact, he managed to smuggle 1,020 gourmet pastries from his workplace. At first glance, one might assume he had a penchant for sweets, but his true aim was to profit by fencing these cakes. These weren’t just any pastries—they were luxury crêpes, each priced at $90. As a deliveryman for Lady M Confections, Lliviganay ended up swiping a batch worth $90,000.
Luxury items often create a black market demand, and that’s exactly what happened with Lady M’s famed crêpes. With fans like Martha Stewart and Oprah, and rave reviews from The New York Times, these pastries were coveted. Unsurprisingly, shady buyers were eager to get their hands on them, and Lliviganay saw an opportunity to cash in.
Lady M only discovered the cake smuggling operation in 2019 when they learned that the crêpes were being sold for less elsewhere. Surveillance footage caught Lliviganay in the act, and he eventually pleaded guilty. The company is now seeking full restitution from the deliveryman for the stolen cakes.
6. Aquarium Enthusiast – A Shark Heist
In 2018, a staff member at the San Antonio Aquarium grew suspicious. Three visitors were leaving, but something seemed off about their baby stroller. After alerting the management, the aquarium’s manager confronted them in the parking lot and insisted on checking their vehicle. The two men and their female companion refused.
The staff reviewed the security footage and witnessed a shocking crime. The trio approached an open saltwater pool, where visitors can interact with various species of sharks. This time, however, things went too far. One man grabbed a gray horn shark by the tail and hoisted her out of the water. The other man took the young female, named Miss Helen, and wrapped her in a blanket. The 0.6-meter (2 feet) long shark was placed into a bucket filled with bleach and hidden inside a baby stroller.
The police tracked down the thieves' truck and found Miss Helen at one of the men’s homes. The shark was being kept in a pet tank. The shark-nappers were arrested, and the victim was returned to the aquarium in a plastic tub.
5. Metal Thieves – The Bridge Heist
The secret to pulling off a flawless heist lies in confidence and a well-crafted lie. That’s exactly how one gang turned a tidy profit. Instead of taking a few cables or dismantling someone’s plumbing, they set their sights on something much bigger: a bridge and nearby railway tracks in the Czech Republic.
No one saw them dismantle the 9-ton (10-ton) bridge and over 198 meters (650 feet) of railway track. But that was just half the task. They needed to sell the stolen metal. To pull it off, they used well-rehearsed lies. The gang walked into a depot in Slavkov, located in the eastern part of the country, and claimed the bridge and tracks had been removed because they were no longer in use. To back up their story, they presented false paperwork, pretending to be part of the official demolition crew. Once the men left with their money, a closer inspection revealed the truth—both structures were part of active infrastructure, and the bridge alone would have cost millions to replace.
4. Unidentified Russian – $300,000 Worth of Walnuts
In 2012, a freight brokerage firm grew concerned when a shipment of unprocessed walnuts failed to arrive in Miami. The nuts were two days overdue. The company alerted the police, mentioning that the walnuts had come from California’s Tehama County. It didn’t take long for Sheriff’s deputies to uncover that another shipment of Tehama walnuts had also gone missing, this time en route to San Antonio.
Together, the two stolen shipments weighed 37,194 kilograms (82,000 pounds) and were valued at approximately $300,000. Both thefts occurred in October and were linked to the same driver. The suspect was described as a white male with a noticeable Russian accent, standing over 1.8 meters (6.2 feet) tall and weighing around 90 kilograms (198 pounds). He drove a semi-truck with the label “InTech Transportation” on the door and presented authentic-looking purchase orders.
When questioned, the trucking company hired to ship the walnuts to San Antonio confirmed that this wasn’t their driver. No one knows what happened to the original driver or why the Russian had such an interest in stealing walnuts. A plausible theory suggests that the nuts were headed for the black market, possibly pre-ordered by a buyer.
3. Avocado Hijackers – 4 Trucks a Day
When criminals think about what to hijack, avocados aren’t usually at the top of the list. But in Michoacán, this is far from the case. Farmers transporting their crops face a high risk of theft, with up to four avocado trucks stolen each day in the region.
To understand this strange trend, you need to grasp the situation in Michoacán, a hotbed for cartel activity. Various criminal organizations are constantly fighting for control of the region, but none have yet emerged as the undisputed leader. The costly nature of this turf war means the cartels need a steady stream of income. Enter the avocado—a green fruit that divides opinion, but remains highly profitable.
Michoacán is responsible for around 80 percent of the U.S. avocado imports, making it a billion-dollar industry. This makes it a perfect target for the cartels, with nearly 20 gangs chasing after avocado trucks. With demand continuing to rise, the violence surrounding these heists has escalated, and many worry it could eventually destroy the entire avocado trade.
2. Gamer – The Theft of a Large Commercial Aircraft
In 2018, Richard Russell completed his shift as a tarmac worker at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. What happened next stunned everyone—Russell managed to steal a Bombardier Q400 turboprop plane, taking it on an unauthorized flight without anyone seeing it coming.
Shortly after the 76-seat aircraft was airborne, air traffic control noticed something amiss. Fortunately, Russell was talkative and kept communication open throughout. As fighter jets followed, the thief performed risky stunts, including rolls and loops. Alarmed, one of the pilots requested that he land to avoid any harm. Russell responded with agitation, saying, "I don’t want to. I was kinda hoping that was going to be it." This, along with other comments, led authorities to believe he might have been suicidal.
Russell expressed remorse to his family and friends through traffic control, but he never got the chance to deliver his apologies in person. After an hour in the air, the plane crashed on an island, claiming Russell’s life. Investigations revealed he had no pilot’s license or any flight experience, yet he managed to take off, remain airborne for a lengthy period, and execute complex maneuvers. The only clue he offered was when he told air traffic control that he didn’t need much help because he "played some video games."
1. Timber Cartels – The Theft of Thousand-Year-Old Trees
Canada’s Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park is home to ancient trees, with its 800-year-old cedars being especially valuable. In 2012, a hiker discovered that one of these giants had been reduced to a stump. The tree, which had once stood 50 meters (164 feet) tall, was gone, and nearby, broken timber-cutting equipment was found.
The park took the theft seriously. These centuries-old trees are vital to the ecosystem, providing a home to a rare bird species that had once been thought extinct until it was rediscovered among the branches. Despite efforts by multiple organizations, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the case went unsolved.
The cedar was just a small piece of a much larger issue. Thousand-year-old trees are so highly prized that they are often referred to as the “new ivory.” One such tree can be worth as much as $20,000. Sometimes, entire heists can involve the theft of up to 100 trees at once. These stolen goods can quickly add up, with cartels potentially raking in timber valued at $100 billion.
Sadly, the authorities tasked with combating this crime are overwhelmed, underfunded, and disorganized. On the flip side, the cartels are highly coordinated and ruthless. Those involved in illegal timber trade are often also engaged in human and weapons trafficking, a hallmark of the most dangerous and efficient criminal syndicates.
