Five incorrigible crooks, frustrated by their disappointing career as bank robbers, decide to switch from bank heists to kidnapping European celebrities. Pretending to be terrorists, they kidnap their first hostage, singer Johnny Hallyday, and demand a huge sum of money to prevent further trouble. They receive their ransom money. They go on to kidnap other celebrities, and grow more successful with each kidnapping. Eventually they expand their targets and hijack planes, kidnap ambassadors, and even abduct the Pope.