The Unsolved 2002 Tel Aviv Bank Heist That Still Haunts Investigators

Nearly 24 and a half years have passed since the massive safe-deposit box heist at the Israel Discount Bank branch on Yehuda Halevi 29 in Tel Aviv in July 2002, considered one of the largest robberies in the country's history. A total of 451 safe-deposit boxes were broken into, with property estimated at 25 million dollars stolen. Despite an investigation lasting about two years, more than a thousand people interrogated, and millions of shekels invested, the burglars were never caught. Nisim Daudi, a retired superintendent who served as head of the interrogation department and deputy commander of the Tel Aviv District Central Unit and led the investigative team, remains haunted by the case.

Reflecting on the operation, Daudi describes it as the most memorable and challenging case of his career. The investigation was not merely professional but deeply personal, as he met elderly Holocaust survivors and families who lost irreplaceable heirlooms and life savings. The basement inspection revealed absolute destruction in the northern vault room, where 451 out of 452 boxes were cracked open, leaving a floor littered with diamonds, jewelry, and cash.

The investigators were astounded by the surgical precision of the break-in. The burglars drilled a flawless 50 by 50 centimeter square through a concrete wall measuring 50 to 55 centimeters thick, positioning the opening directly opposite four empty, oversized safe-deposit boxes. Experts from the Shin Bet and Mossad were brought in to consult on how the drilling was executed through a cramped electrical room with a mere 15 to 20 centimeter gap behind a large air conditioning duct, which showed no signs of tampering.

Forensic evidence indicated the operation spanned two to three months, with the perpetrators working methodically over weekends. Despite repeated alarm triggers, security guards dismissed the alerts as false positives after finding exterior doors secured. During the final weekend, a guard discovered that the electrical room cylinder lock had been replaced, but maintenance dismissed the anomaly until Sunday morning, by which time the heist was complete. Although a special task force exhausted technological resources, communication analysis, and security footage, the case remains an unsolved mystery that continues to captivate the retired investigator.