but loebl learned all of this the hard way.leaving a department store in cincinnati. after waving off his police escort, he stopped at this restaurant. when he came out, a van screeched up next to his car. >> how many of them were there? >> five. >> how much did they get? >> they got over $5 million. >> it's a pretty good haul. >> it's a frightening-- it's a frightening haul. >> in 2003, south american gangs were responsible for 195 jewelry robberies, stealing more than $50 million in merchandise. this video, taken from a police helicopter, shows one of their favorite tactics. notice the gang member getting out of the car and sneaking up on a jewelry salesman's vehicle to puncture his tire. >> what we've been seeing is, they'll pop your tire. you'll have a slow leak. you'll be driving. you'll pull over because you have a flat tire. >> then they will strike with paramilitary precision. in fact, police believe some of the leaders may be former military or police. sergeant guginsky says they rely on surprise, and if there's any re