Thief who stole bucket of gold from New York truck sought by police

€1.5m robbery happened on busy street near the Rockefeller Center office

New York police have released CCTV footage of a male, they say is 50-60 years of age, stealing a bucket containing $1.6m worth of gold. Video: NYPD

New York police are searching for a green-clad man who swiped an 86-pound (9 kg) pail of gold flakes off an armored truck two months ago and disappeared with the estimated $1.6 million (€1.5m) in treasure.

The city’s police department late Tuesday released photos and video of the suspect, who was lingering near the truck on the afternoon of September 29th and took advantage of a moment of distraction by its security guards to snatch the 19-litre bucket.

The video shows him walking away with some difficulty, likely due to the weight of the bucket.

The theft happened on a busy stretch of 48th Street in the borough of Manhattan, near the Rockefeller Center office and shopping complex, police said.

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Police, who said they believe the man has since fled to Florida, described him as 50 to 60 years old, Hispanic and wearing a black vest and green shirt.

Reuters