Chilean authorities successfully foiled an airport heist where robbers tried to steal $32.5 million in cash aboard a plane for Miami. However, the operation resulted in the death of one security officer and one suspected robber.
The incident occurred after a shootout between law enforcement authorities and the suspects in an airport in the Capital of Chile, Santiago. Authorities said that in the Wednesday incident, roughly ten heavily armed robbers successfully avoided security measures and got to the runway at the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport.
Foiled $32.5 Million Airport Heist
There, a Latam airlines aircraft was filled with $32.5 million in cash, which was meant to be transferred to an armored truck, said Manuel Monsalve, the Interior Subsecretary. Officials noted a shootout between the two sides that resulted in the death of an employee of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) along with one of the assailants.
Following that, the other robbers fled the area, and authorities found two burned vehicles nearby. In a statement, Monsalve said that the brave actions of the DGAC officials frustrated the suspects, who he said were "highly organized" and "very armed," as per ABC News.
A video was later posted to social media that showed bullet holes in a Delta plane parked beside the Latam aircraft the suspects targeted. There was other footage that appeared to show a moment in the shootout where many gunshots could be heard.
In a statement, DGAC chief Raul Jorquera said that the incident did not cause any risk to passengers near the crime area. Officials noted that the attempted heist targeted money that was supposed to be distributed to several banks in the South American country.
Jorquera added that the attempted robbery would "undoubtedly lead us to revise processes, protocols that must be improved" and force them to rethink many things. The latest incident was not the first time that the airport in Santiago, Chile, was targeted by suspects. Thieves stole some $15 million in 2020 from a warehouse in the airport, six years after a similar $10 million heist.
Rising Number of Organized Crime
A prosecutor tasked with leading the investigation of the incident, Eduardo Baeza, said that valuable cargo arrived on a Latam plane from Miami that was the target of the suspects. According to Aljazeera, the Brinks security company took the money to its destination, at which point the suspects arrived and were swiftly repelled by security officials.
In recent years, Chile has faced a rising concern for organized crime, and Monsalve noted that the latest incident was "very well-planned." He added that the suspects tied up a security guard and entered the airport using three vehicles. They allegedly broke through a gate and went to the cargo area to search for money.
Separate footage showed a woman who appeared to work at the airport recording the shootout between the officials and the robbers. While gunshots could be heard, Newsweek said one vehicle was seen quickly driving through the area.
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