The heist of the century: two bank employees in St. Petersburg stole gold coins worth 2 billion rubles.

      June 24, 2026 17:36 Incidents The story that the media has already dubbed the "theft of the century" occurred in St. Petersburg. Two employees of one of the banks stole nearly 10,000 gold coins from the vault, worth about 2 billion rubles. The weight of the stolen items is over 160 kilograms, reports "KP-Petersburg."

      Who are they?

      The main suspects in this case are 55-year-olds Anna Andreichenko and Marina Polezhaeva (the names of the individuals have been changed).

      Anna, a native of one of the villages in the Samara region, began her career at a bank in Samara and then moved to Pskov. After being promoted, she took the position of branch manager at a bank in St. Petersburg with an official income of 130,000 rubles per month and led a luxurious lifestyle: traveling around the world, owning nice cars, and having real estate in an elite village.

      Marina Polezhaeva, a client relations manager, led a rather modest family life, but shortly before her arrest, her social media status read: "I'm enjoying."

      How did it happen?

      The theft scheme was carefully thought out. The women gradually removed coins from the vault to avoid raising suspicion. These were investment coins "Victorious" made of pure gold, issued by the Central Bank. In total, the criminals removed 8,893 coins from the vault: 4,515 coins with a face value of 50 rubles, 241 coins worth 100 rubles, and 4,137 coins worth 200 rubles. They sold them to other banks at a reduced price.

      According to information from the unified press service of the courts of St. Petersburg, the total value of the coins made of precious metals as of June 20, 2026, reaches 2,022,290,095 rubles. If the fraudsters managed to sell all the stolen items, even considering the dumping of their real value, their income amounted to about 1.6 billion rubles.

      When the disappearance was discovered, investigators quickly determined who could be involved in the theft. The women were detained. Andreichenko was sent to a pre-trial detention center, while Polezhaeva is under house arrest and is cooperating with the investigation.

      What now?

      The detainees were not found with any money, but according to the court, they managed to "dispose of it at their discretion." The question of whether it is possible to spend one and a half billion without attracting attention remains debatable. It is likely that the women managed to hide the funds, and the police are investigating this. If the money is not found, it will be difficult to recover it.

      Lawyer Evgeny Zobov explains that the bank's damages can be recovered through a civil lawsuit if the guilt of the individuals is proven. Bailiffs will seize property, money in accounts, and assets. The women face up to 10 years in prison for the crime. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When republishing, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+