The Great Tea Robbery

The Great Tea Robbery was a 1923 incident in which Australian stamp dealer Harold Clapp orchestrated the theft of valuable postage stamps from a prison. Disguised as a prison official, Clapp convinced guards to unlock the vault, allowing him and accomplices to steal rare and expensive stamps. The theft aimed to sell the stamps for profit, but Clapp was eventually caught and prosecuted. This event highlighted flaws in security procedures and remains a notable case of a high-stakes stamp heist in philatelic history.