In a meticulously planned operation on the night of December 6, 2007, a group of thieves disguised as police officers executed a daring robbery at a Verizon data centre in London. The gang employed deception and tactical intimidation to overcome multiple layers of security in an attempt to steal sensitive computer servers.

The heist began shortly after 9 p.m., when the group arrived in police uniforms, complete with radios, a police van and car obtained from a film-props company, and a large Alsatian dog to add authenticity and menace. Claiming to be a rapid response robbery squad responding to a report of a man on the roof, the imposters gained entry by convincing on-site security guards to open the doors.

Once inside, the gang took control by handcuffing security personnel and other staff, threatening them with the dog to ensure compliance. In total, 16 people, including security guards, technicians, and cleaners, were restrained during the operation. The robbers cut the live CCTV feeds and provided false explanations over the phone to the private security company monitoring the building, citing a power surge as the cause of the disruption.

Meanwhile, their technical team accessed the top-floor data room—Room 992—using security ID cards stolen from guards. With battery-powered screwdrivers, they detached the targeted servers and packed them into large laundry bags they had brought for the theft. The entire operation was executed with an aim to complete entry and exit within an hour due to security guard patrol schedules tied to alarm systems.

The group left the building around 10 p.m. and narrowly avoided detection despite a rapid police response sparked by automated alarms. The thieves passed close to a nearby police station just as a convoy of approximately a dozen police vehicles raced to the scene. Despite the intensity of the response, the gang successfully escaped without immediate capture.

The investigation following the robbery relied heavily on security guard identifications. Authorities apprehended Terry Ellis, who led the operation, in September 2008 as he attempted to flee the country. Ellis, who had been living discreetly on a canal boat near the data centre during the police search, was sentenced to nearly nine years in prison. Another key participant, Denis Carr, was also prosecuted, but no other individuals have been charged in connection with the theft. None of the stolen servers were ever recovered.

Ellis later alleged that British intelligence agency MI5 approached him in prison, offering a sentence reduction in exchange for information about those who had recruited him to steal “highly sensitive banking data” from a range of UK and US financial institutions. The owners of the Verizon data centre at the time downplayed the severity of the breach, reportedly to avoid exposing vulnerabilities in their data security systems.

Experts have since highlighted the incident as a significant example of the challenges in securing data centres, which have proliferated globally in recent years. The case underscores concerns about physical and technical security safeguards, especially given the increasing reliance on centralized data storage.

In a 2023 interview, Ellis acknowledged the criminal nature of his actions but expressed a degree of pride in the success of the heist. He stressed that while the operation had clear victims, it was simply his “job,” underscoring the boldness and complexity involved in the theft that remains notable in criminal history.