Police in New York City are looking for a quick-thinking thief who stole an 86-pound bucket of gold flakes worth nearly $1.6 million off an armored truck in Manhattan
Police are hunting for a thief who swiped a bucket full of gold flakes worth $1.6 million off the back of a truck in the middle of Manhattan.
The NYPD has released CCTV footage of the unidentified man, who snatched the 86-pound (39kg) pail from the vehicle at the end of September.
Caught gold-handed: Police are looking for this man, who they say stole $1.6m of gold flakes. Photo / NYPD
It is believed that the guard briefly stopped watching over the truck and went into the truck's cab to retrieve his cellphone when the robbery took place, the Daily Mail reports.
It happened in broad daylight on West 48th Street in New York City's busy Midtown area.
Footage shows the man as he walks past the truck, loops around to take a better look, and stands for a moment, apparently pondering his crime. Photo / NYPD
Footage from the theft shows a man walking along 48th Street and then loitering around the truck, which was open at the back.
And when he thinks nobody is watching, he reaches into the vehicle and lifts down the heavy bucket containing the gold flakes.
Afterwards, he is captured on camera hurrying along the sidewalk as he struggles with the stolen goods.
At one point, he even places the five-gallon bucket on the ground, to give his arms a rest from the heavy load.