Thieves made off with tens of millions of dollars from a cash storage facility in Los Angeles on Easter Sunday, their illicit activities remaining undetected until the following day.
The pilfering of at least $30 million (£24 million) stands as one of the most significant cash robberies in Los Angeles history, according to local media reports.
There are scant leads regarding the perpetrators of the meticulously planned crime or the precise modus operandi.
The Los Angeles Police Department and FBI have launched a joint investigation into the matter.
No alarms were triggered, and the intrusion of the thieves into the facility located in the San Fernando Valley, where funds from local businesses are processed and secured in a vault, went unnoticed.
Local media suggest that a sophisticated crew of burglars may have accessed the building through the roof. Only a select few were aware of the substantial cash reserves within the premises.
It wasn’t until Monday, when employees opened the vault, that the staggering sum’s absence was realized. The safe displayed no visible signs of forced entry.
According to reports from US media outlets, the heist took place at a GardaWorld facility in the suburban neighborhood of Sylmar. A news helicopter captured what appeared to be a breach in the building’s side with debris nearby, though its relation to the burglary remains unclear.
The total amount stolen exceeds any previous takings from armored vehicle robberies in the region, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
The largest cash robbery in LA’s history occurred in September 1997 when $18.9 million was pilfered from Dunbar Armored Inc. Six individuals, including a former employee, were eventually apprehended.
In 2022, an armored truck was robbed approximately 55 miles (90 km) north of the site of Sunday’s heist. The thieves seized numerous bags containing vintage jewelry and gems while guards were distracted.
The pilfered items were estimated to be worth over $100 million, with no arrests made.
Last year, at the Toronto airport, thieves made off with more than $15 million in gold and cash. An aircraft container carrying the goods arrived at the airport and was transported to a cargo holding facility, where authorities believe the theft occurred.
It ranks among the largest heists in Canada’s history.