The Wild Story Behind How A Fake James Bond Film Crew Used Moonraker Hoping To Arrest A Famous Fugitive

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Ronnie Biggs, a criminal who escaped from British authorities, managed to stay a fugitive for many years. Although both the government and the public generally knew he was living openly in Brazil – taking advantage of the fact that Brazil didn’t have an extradition treaty with the U.K. – officials once attempted a clever ruse to capture him. They pretended to be the film crew for the James Bond movie *Moonraker*, starring Roger Moore, in an effort to lure him into being arrested. Here’s the story of how that unfolded.

Biggs Had Ducked Arrest For More Than Three Decades

Ronnie Biggs was one of the robbers involved in the famous Great Train Robbery in England in 1963 (which is different from the film with the same name). He and most of the gang were caught within weeks and sentenced to 30 years in prison. After serving just over a year, Biggs escaped and initially went to Paris, then Australia, eventually making his home in Rio de Janeiro in 1970.

During his time in Rio de Janeiro, Biggs lived openly and without much concealment. By the time the media found him, his Brazilian girlfriend was expecting a child, and Brazil’s laws prevented them from sending a father of a Brazilian citizen to another country for trial. This meant Biggs was effectively a free man, and for the following 31 years, he frequently gave interviews and actively sought publicity.

The Kidnapping Attempt Using The Bond Production

In 1979, a British ex-soldier named John Miller worked as a stuntman on the James Bond film *Moonraker*, which was being filmed in Brazil. Roger Moore, the actor playing Bond, was aware that Ronnie Biggs, a famous fugitive, craved publicity and used this to his benefit. Miller approached Biggs and allegedly offered him £5,000 to make a brief appearance in the movie. The plan involved flying Biggs to northern Brazil and then transporting him by boat to the film set.

Turns out the whole thing was a setup! This guy Miller had absolutely nothing to do with the movie about the robbery. Apparently, he bragged to a reporter about how he was going to trick Biggs, and that reporter told Biggs everything. Biggs saw right through it and didn’t even bother showing up to the meeting, which meant he avoided getting caught… again! It took 40 years, but in 2003, Biggs finally came back to England and was arrested. He ended up spending six years in prison and sadly passed away in 2013.

John Miller’s plan was nothing like the elaborate rescue operation depicted in the movie *Argo*, where spies created a fake film production to help hostages escape Iran in 1979. Unlike that successful operation, this scheme fell apart. Eon Productions, the company behind the James Bond films, and the British government weren’t involved. It was more akin to an amateur attempt, like something Dog the Bounty Hunter might try – it didn’t succeed, but it’s a story that could make an entertaining movie, though probably not a Bond film.

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2025-09-28 16:08