Police Hunt World Cup Robbers

28/06/2002 09:29 AM Reuters

Berlin police said on Thursday they were hunting bank robbers who had timed three armed holdups to coincide with World Cup matches to make the getaway easier.

The first heist, by a lone robber armed with a pistol, came 10 minutes into the opening match between France and Senegal on May 31 as traffic thinned out with millions glued to television screens.

The second robbery, involving the same suspect and an accomplice, took place during Friday's quarter-final between Germany and the United States, again 10 minutes into the match.

The third robbery came five minutes before the end of Tuesday's semi-final on Berlin's Kurfuerstendamm avenue, which was packed with fans watching giant outdoor screens and getting ready to celebrate Germany's victory over South Korea.

Police said they found no link between this robbery and the first two.
"It's a good thing the final is on Sunday when the banks are shut," the spokeswoman said. Germany meets Brazil in the final.
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thats rather good thinking on the robbers part :S

yeah, smart robbaz