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Aage Meinesz (Malang, June 19, 1942 – The Hague, October 31, 1985) was a Dutch safecracker who became nationally known as De Meestercraker .

He gained great fame with his charming appearance. He wrote a book, appeared on TV and even recorded songs about his activities as a safecracker.

Thermal lance

His favorite tool was the thermal lance, a device that burns through even concrete and the thickest metal. In the early 1970s he committed his biggest heist ever (which made it into every Dutch newspaper). Meinesz stole 600,000 guilders from the safe of the Nederlandsche Middenstandsbank in Helmond. He deliberately left the private savings vaults untouched. Aage therefore considered himself a 'modern Robin Hood' who only stole from the rich. There is some doubt as to whether he also gave to the poor. However, his crimes were always non-violent: he would rather call off a burglary than have to shoot a guard.

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Escape

In 1973, Aage was arrested and sentenced to 4.5 years in prison. He ingeniously managed to escape from there, only to be arrested again four months later. When his prison sentence finally ended, the entire national press stood at the prison gate to take photos and record quotes from his mouth. Meinesz was asked if it was difficult to escape from prison so spectacularly. He then replied nonchalantly: "Cracking a bank vault also takes effort, I just have those capabilities."

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3 million

It is said that due to his lavish lifestyle, Aage eventually died in poverty and his friends had to pay for his funeral. Or is that all nonsense? In a conversation on television, interviewer Willem Duys asked 'what actually happened to those 3 million that are still missing'. Aage was silent. Was there still something to offer? Another big smile, but no answer. Would there be...? *