Shraman Mitra
The United Kingdom witnessed one of its worst robberies on February 21, 2006, when numerous armed robbers forced their way into a Securitas depot in Tonbridge, Kent. The depot was used to store and transport money for the Bank of England. Once the police conducted a complete investigation, they were stunned to realize that the robbers had made off with 53 million pounds. On top of it, the robbery was meticulously planned.
The intruders even kidnapped the depot’s general manager and his family in order to ensure a safe escape. Showtime’s ‘Catching Lightning’ chronicles the shocking incident and follows the investigation that led them to famous MMA fighter Lee Murray and several of his accomplices, including career criminal Lea Rusha. Well, let’s take a look at the details surrounding the robbery and find out where Lea Rusha is at present, shall we?
Who is Lea Rusha?
A native of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Lea Rusha was pretty well known in the London MMA circuit as a successful kickboxer. Besides, in order to support his family, Lea also worked as a hod carrier on the side. However, numerous sources, including the Showtime show, mentioned that Lea was a career criminal who indulged in petty crime occasionally. As a result, he had gotten in trouble with the law several times in the past, although that did nothing to keep him away from his criminal activities.
Interestingly, most reports claim that Lea was the one who masterminded the February 2006 robbery at the Securitas deposit in Tonbridge, Kent. While having someone as famous and influential as Lee Murray on the team acted as a boost to the other accomplices, it was Lea Rusha who planned the entire operation and called the shots. While preparing for the Securitas heist, Lea Rusha and Murray tailed Colin Dixon, the depot’s general manager, for several days in order to learn the route he took to return home.
While doing so, they discovered that he would always use a stretch of road, which remained deserted for most of the time. Hence, on February 21, 2006, the day of the robbery, Lea Rusha and Murray put on fake cop uniforms and waited for Colin to drive along the deserted road. As soon as they spotted his car, they gave chase in their own personal vehicle, which had flashing blue lights attached to the front. Once Colin saw the flashing blue lights, he believed a cop was behind him and immediately pulled over. That was when Lea Rusha and Murray put the general manager in cuffs before revealing their real intention.
Moreover, they even drove him to a remote area and told him they would hurt his wife and child if he did not follow their orders. From there, Colin, his wife, Lynn, and their child were driven to the Securitas Deposit in Kent, where they were held hostage while the robbers walked away with 53 million pounds. When the police began investigating the robbery, they initially came across Michelle Hogg, a makeup artist who helped disguise the robbers by using several prosthetics.
Interestingly, while going through her trash, the police found latex, a cigarette butt, and other makeup materials which contained DNA from Paul Allen, Lea Rusha, and Lee Murray. On top of it, investigators also came across a Judo instructor named Chris Bowles, who had the magazine of a scorpion pistol as well as over a million dollars in cash in the back of his van. Nevertheless, when questioned, Chris insisted that Lea Rusha had asked him to hold onto the money for safekeeping.
Lea Rusha is Serving His Time in Open Prison Awaiting Parole
With all evidence pointing toward Lea Rusha, the police decided to get a warrant to search his house. Subsequently, the search revealed incriminating evidence, including balaclavas and overalls similar to the ones used by the robbers. On top of it, authorities also found a night vision scope, a revolver, several shotgun cartridges, a plan of the Securitas Deposit with Lea’s fingerprint on it, and a tape with recordings of Colin Dixon’s home.
With enough circumstantial and forensic evidence for a court case, Lea Rusha was arrested and charged for his role in the robbery. When presented in court, Lea Rusha pled not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to possess firearms, and conspiracy to kidnap. However, he was ultimately convicted on all counts and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison in 2008. Additionally, the judge ordered him and his accomplices to return the money they had stolen from the depot.
Readers would be interested to know that reports in 2022 claimed that Lea Rusha had paid back just 1 pound of the money he owed the government. However, since he had already served his minimum sentence of 15 years, the parole board recommended his move to an open prison. Hence, at present, Lea Rusha, who is a father of two, is spending his days behind bars at a prison in the United Kingdom while awaiting his parole.
Read More: Where is Paul Allen Now?
