'Lucky' thief in Dh5.9m gold heist

New York: A lucky — or perhaps well-informed — thief grabbed a non-descript aluminum bucket from the back of an open truck in New York, walking away with $1.6 million (Dh5.9m) in gold.

If he had not been aware before snatching up the pail that he had a big haul, the 39 kilo weight of the haul might have been a clue.

But surveillance footage showed the brazen sneak making a quick getaway on foot though the crowded late afternoon streets of midtown Manhattan in late September, amid oblivious commuters.

On Wednesday, police urged anyone who recognized the 50 to 60-year-old man — seen head-on but slightly indistinctly in the newly released footage — to come forward and identify him.

It was not immediately clear if the man knew what he was stealing, having crossed the street behind the open back of the unguarded armored security truck before changing tack and helping himself.