The raiders were confused with suppliers
In St. Petersburg, a branch of the State Optical Institute named after. Vavilov, who develops unique devices, including military and special purposes. Bandits stole platinum-containing equipment worth 104 million rubles.

The attack occurred on Sunday at 2.40 am. Four in camouflage uniforms and masks drove up to the institute building (36 Babushkina Street) in a Gazelle. Having quietly climbed over the fence, the raiders calmly approached the administrative building and knocked on the door of the guardhouse. The institute's security guards did not expect an attack - a car with equipment was supposed to arrive at the enterprise, and they did not even ask who was behind the door. Having stunned the guard who opened the door with the handle of a pistol, the raiders burst into the room and began beating the other four guards. Then, with the help of the keys in the guardhouse, the robbers entered workshop #71, where optical lenses are cast. Having tied up four glass blowers who were in the workshop, the criminals opened the armored vault and stole from it 18 technological molds for casting lenses containing industrial platinum. The criminals loaded the uniforms (with a total weight of about 270 kg) into a Gazelle and calmly drove out of the institute. According to estimates by the enterprise administration, the value of the stolen equipment is 104 million rubles.
This is already the second attack on the institute. In 1995, the enterprise was subjected to a similar raid, as a result of which platinum-containing equipment was also stolen. The criminals have not been caught yet.

State Optical Institute named after. S.V. Vavilova manufactures aerospace lenses for monitoring the earth's surface, topographical surveys, ensuring orientation of spacecraft, as well as small-sized homing heads for Strela-type MANPADS and various thermal imaging devices suitable for military and civilian use.
VLADISLAV Kommersant-LITOVCHENKO, St. Petersburg

Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 15 dated January 30, 2001, page 12