Today In History... with The Retrospectors
Kidnapping Ronnie Biggs
Published: 24 March 2025 at 01:30 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Fugitive Ronnie Biggs - infamous for participating in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, then escaping from Wandsworth Prison - was rescued by Bajan police after being kidnapped in Brazil today in history on 24th March 1981.
A media frenzy ensued as reporters awaited his arrival, thanks to a tip-off by the operation's leader, John Miller. But Biggs found himself released by Barbados authorities, sparking a diplomatic clash between Brazil and the UK over extradition proceedings.
In this episode, The Retrospectors explain why Biggs, back in Brazil, had little choice but to make a living through public appearances; consider his surprisingly insignificant involvement in the heist he is so strongly associated with; and reveal what happened when Biggs came back to England, after more than thirty years on the run…
Further Reading:
• ‘Kidnapping of Ronnie Biggs ends in farce’ (The Guardian, 1981): https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2013/mar/25/ronnie-biggs-train-robbery-kidnap
• ‘Former mercenary who tried to make it Biggs’ (The Herald, 1997): https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12290059.former-mercenary-who-tried-to-make-it-biggs/
• ‘No One Is Innocent’ (Sex Pistols, 1979): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWiAMeAS7bM&t=5s
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