Pradeep, a police officer stationed in Benoni, South Africa, found himself dissatisfied with his mundane life. Seeking excitement, he hatched a daring plan to rob a bank. He booked an early flight from Johannesburg to Durban, rented a car upon arrival, and drove to a local bank. Just before leaving his car, he slipped on a wig and a false beard. He then walked into the bank, waved his gun at the teller, and ordered her to stuff his bag with cash. Once he had the money, he quickly left and caught the next flight back to Johannesburg.

The heist went off without a hitch, and Pradeep was exhilarated. This rush led him to plan yet another bank robbery, and then another, until he found himself jetting off to Durban every time he had a day off work to pull off another heist. He even took to robbing local banks in Johannesburg during his lunch breaks. Thanks to his clever disguises, he could commit the crime and then return to the scene later to blend in, with witnesses completely oblivious to the fact that he was the culprit they were describing.

Pradeep had turned bank robbery into an art form; he was so familiar with the security systems that he could manoeuvre through them with ease, escaping capture time and again. Over four thrilling years, he pulled off heists at around 30 banks, each escapade offering him a jolt of excitement that kept him coming back for more.

One fateful evening, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Amidst the buzz of a lively gathering, he overindulged in drinks and found himself deep in conversation with his friend Larry. In a moment of reckless confidence, he began to brag about his recent bank heists, asserting that he was an expert in the field.

Larry was employed by SAMBO, a division of the South African Police Service dedicated to tackling organised crime, economic offences, and corruption. Given his role and the oath he had sworn, Larry believed he couldn't remain silent about such a secret, so he ultimately decided to inform his superiors.

The next time Pradeep returned from Durban, still riding high from his latest bank heist, the police were poised and ready at the baggage claim. He was arrested, faced trial, and sentenced to 18 years behind bars. However, Pradeep wasn't about to give up; he began devising his escape plan the very day he received his sentence.

During his time in prison, he encountered a man named Mpande, and soon after, he met another inmate called Fanie. Both were serving time for robbery, and before long, the three of them formed a strong friendship.

After spending nearly three years behind bars, the trio devised an audacious escape plan. They began by Pradeep and Mpande pretending to be injured, convincing the prison guards to take them to an outside physiotherapist for treatment. Once they arrived, they seized the opportunity, overpowering the guards and snatching their weapons. With the guards' guns in hand, they hijacked the physiotherapist's car and made their daring getaway. After their escape, they decided to keep a low profile for a while.

Several months had gone by since they had escaped from prison and chosen to lay low for a bit. This time allowed them to strategise their next move: a daring rescue for their friend still behind bars. On a Saturday morning, during the guards' shift change, Pradeep and Mpande stormed the prison where Fanie was confined, guns blazing. They managed to break him out, and with all three now on the run, they sought refuge from the law.

Pradeep was restless and wanted to hit banks again; he yearned for that exhilarating feeling that came with it. So, the three of them embarked on a bank-robbing adventure, starting with one bank and quickly moving on to another, then a third. They continued their spree, robbing bank after bank, all while donning absurd disguises: oversized sunglasses, bushy moustaches, and phoney beards. They looked almost silly, but their teamwork was impressive, allowing them to complete a bank heist in under five minutes. On some days, they even managed to rob multiple banks in the same day without getting caught.

As their exploits gained notoriety, news of the bank robbers spread like wildfire through the community. Surprisingly, many locals began to rally behind them, captivated by how they outsmarted the police. Pradeep, Mpande, and Fanie found themselves transformed into unlikely heroes.

Over the course of several months, this series of crimes continued unabated. The gang members took refuge in safe houses, robbed banks whenever the opportunity arose, amassed a significant amount of cash, and spent their downtime with numerous escorts.

Pradeep had a troubling habit of approaching unsuspecting young women under the guise of a professional photographer. He would entice them to his hotel room with the promise of a photoshoot, only to exploit them in a horrific manner. One of his victims found the courage to report his actions to the authorities.

Untimately, the trio was declared South Africa's most wanted, with their images plastered across every media outlet, sparking conversations everywhere. The buzz about them was inescapable.

Aware that their capture was imminent, the trio devised a strategy to escape the country. They began by resolving to acquire a medium-size yacht, intending to escape the country by sea. They considered this route to be a safer option compared to taking flights. A couple of days later, Pradeep travelled to Melbourne, Australia, using a counterfeit passport to finalise the yacht sale negotiations.

The following day, at around 4:00 am, back in South Africa, law enforcement arrived at one of the gang's hideouts. The police were outside, and Mpande was the only one present at the location. It seemed that some of the escorts the gang was associated with had informed the police about their hideouts.

Police ordered the gang to come out with their hands raised. In a surreal moment, Mpande, still dripping from his shower and entirely naked, reached for his weapon and found himself in a frantic butt-naked shootout with law enforcement. The police burst into the house, and gunfire erupted around him as he dashed from one room to another, firing back at his pursuers. When they finally cornered him, he made a tragic choice, turning the gun on himself and ending it all.

In the meantime, Fanie received a tip-off that the police were closing in on them. He quickly made his escape, using a counterfeit passport to catch a flight to Dubai. By the time the police conducted their raid on the gang's safe houses, he had already vanished. However, in one of those locations, they discovered photographs of a woman whom Pradeep had assaulted several months earlier. This evidence not only corroborated her account of being exploited by him but also linked the safe house directly to Pradeep.

The safe house provided crucial information that directed the police to the yacht they had purchased. From there, they traced a crew member hired to navigate it, who revealed that Pradeep was meant to transport the yacht to Melbourne, Australia.

This development led law enforcement to conclude that Pradeep might be in Australia. Local newspapers caught wind of the story and began featuring Pradeep's photo, causing residents in Melbourne to be on the lookout for him.

One fateful morning, everything began to unravel for Pradeep. He was browsing a car dealership, eager to find a new car, worried that his old one might give him away. The salesman, having seen Pradeep's face in the local newspaper, kept quiet at first but later decided to alert the authorities.

That night, the police made their way to Pradeep's apartment, forcefully entering the premises. But to their dismay, Pradeep was nowhere to be found. Just when it seemed like they were at a dead end, one of the officers saw him whizzing by on a bicycle. There was no mistaking it; he knew it was him. The police officer ran over and confronted him. Pradeep, realising what was going on, jumped off his bike and made a run for it. The police officer pursued him relentlessly until he finally caught up. Pradeep, who had been feigning surrender, suddenly lunged for the officer's shotgun. In a split second, the officer reacted by drawing his secondary weapon and fired four shots into Pradeep's chest, resulting in his immediate death.

Fanie, the last survivor of the trio, found himself in Brazil, where he attempted yet another robbery. His plan failed spectacularly, resulting in his arrest and a life sentence with no possibility of parole.