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The Notorious Ronnie Biggs: The Great Train Robber Whose Partnership With Pablo Escobar Shocked Britain

Sean Turner

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Published in Secret Narco: The Great Train Robber Whose Partnership With Pablo Escobar Turned Britain On To Cocaine

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Ronnie Biggs was a career criminal who rose to infamy as one of the masterminds behind the Great Train Robbery of 1963, one of the most audacious heists in British history. After escaping from prison, Biggs fled to Brazil, where he lived a life of luxury and notoriety, forging an unlikely partnership with Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Secret Narco: The Great Train Robber whose partnership with Pablo Escobar turned Britain on to cocaine

by Wensley Clarkson

4.4 out of 5

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The Great Train Robbery

On August 8, 1963, a gang of 15 masked men robbed a Royal Mail train carrying £2.6 million in cash (equivalent to over £40 million today). The robbery was meticulously planned and executed, with the gang using a variety of disguises and weaponry to overwhelm the train's crew and passengers.

Biggs, who was one of the gang's leaders, played a key role in the planning and execution of the robbery. He was responsible for scouting the train's route and identifying the ideal location for the ambush. Biggs was also one of the men who boarded the train and held the passengers at gunpoint.

The Great Train Robbery was a major scandal that shocked Britain and made headlines around the world. The police launched a massive manhunt, and several of the robbers were quickly arrested. However, Biggs and a few of his accomplices managed to escape.

Life on the Run

After the robbery, Biggs fled to Brazil, where he lived a life of luxury. He invested his share of the stolen money in a variety of businesses, including a nightclub and a construction company. Biggs also became a minor celebrity in Brazil, appearing on television and radio shows.

In 1970, Biggs was arrested in Brazil and sentenced to 30 years in prison. However, he escaped from prison just a few years later and returned to England. Biggs was eventually recaptured and sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Partnership with Pablo Escobar

While in prison, Biggs met and befriended Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Escobar was one of the most powerful and feared criminals in the world, and he had a reputation for violence and brutality.

Biggs and Escobar forged an unlikely partnership, with Biggs helping Escobar to launder money and smuggle drugs into Europe. In return, Escobar provided Biggs with financial support and protection.

The partnership between Biggs and Escobar was a major embarrassment to the British government. The government had spent years trying to extradite Biggs to Britain, but they were unable to do so because of Escobar's protection.

Return to Britain

In 2001, Biggs was released from prison on compassionate grounds. He was suffering from ill health, and the British government decided not to extradite him to Britain.

Biggs returned to Britain in 2001 and was greeted by a mixture of sympathy and disgust. Some people felt that he had paid his debt to society and deserved to be allowed to live out his remaining days in peace. Others felt that he was a hardened criminal who should have been returned to prison.

Biggs died in 2013 at the age of 84. He was a controversial figure to the end, but there is no doubt that he was one of the most notorious criminals in British history.

Ronnie Biggs was a complex and contradictory figure. He was a career criminal who committed one of the most audacious heists in British history. He was also a fugitive who lived a life of luxury for many years. And he was a partner of one of the most powerful and feared criminals in the world.

Biggs' story is a fascinating one that sheds light on the dark underbelly of British society. It is a story of crime, violence, and betrayal. But it is also a story of redemption and hope.

The Great Train Robber Whose Partnership With Pablo Escobar Turned Britain On is a must-read for anyone interested in British history, crime, or the human condition.

Secret Narco: The Great Train Robber whose partnership with Pablo Escobar turned Britain on to cocaine

by Wensley Clarkson

4.4 out of 5