Two individuals have been killed in an airport shoot-out in Chile’s capital in what authorities mentioned was an tried heist of greater than $32m in money aboard a aircraft from Miami.
A safety officer and alleged robber had been left lifeless within the incident on Wednesday after round 10 closely armed robbers skirted safety measures to succeed in the runway on the Arturo Merino Benitez Worldwide Airport.
That they had tried to steal $32.5m (£27.4m) in money onboard a LATAM Airways plane that was being transferred to an armoured truck, inside sub-secretary Manuel Monsalve mentioned.
A shoot-out then unfolded between the would-be robbers and safety officers, killing an worker of the Directorate Common of Civil Aviation (DGAC), in addition to an alleged assailant.
The opposite robbers fled the scene and two burned autos had been later discovered close by.
“The courageous motion by the DGAC officers annoyed the theft,” Mr Monsalve mentioned, noting that the alleged assailants had been “extremely organised” and “very armed”.
Footage shared on social media appeared to indicate bullet holes in a Delta aircraft that was parked subsequent to the LATAM plane that was focused.
One other clip seems to seize a second within the shoot-out throughout which a number of gunshots may be heard.
DGAC chief Raul Jorquera mentioned there was “no threat” to passengers.
The $32.5m that was being transferred to an armoured truck was set to be distributed to a number of banks within the South American nation.
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Mr Jorquera mentioned the tried heist “will undoubtedly lead us to revise processes, protocols that have to be improved… it forces us to rethink many issues”.
The incident just isn’t the primary time the airport in Chile has been focused.
In 2020, thieves stole round $15m (£12.6m) from a warehouse within the airport – six years after the same $10m (£8.4m) heist.
In a speech on Wednesday, President Gabriel Boric condemned the newest heist, saying that “when there’s insecurity, every little thing else wobbles”.
Latest polls recommend that a rise in violent crime has contributed to a decline in Mr Boric’s approval scores.