Armed robbers stole millions of euros from an Austrian Airlines plane in a deadly heist at Tirana airport.
Police have arrested four people and are questioning 40 others after armed gunmen broke onto the runway at Tirana airport and stole millions from an Austrian Airlines plane.
The daring heist, which took place on Tuesday, triggered a police chase and shootout in which one of the robbers was killed.
“The perpetrators exchanged fire with the police during the chase in a secondary road and one of them lost his life in that exchange,” a police statement said.
The armed robbers began the heist by smashing through an entrance used by firefighters to gain access to the tarmac.
There, they targeted an Austrian Airlines plane destined for Vienna.
Foreign banks operating in Albania send their hard currency to Vienna because Albania’s central bank does not accept such deposits.
The three robbers dressed in military clothing threatened the employees handling the money bags, eventually stealing the cash.
The amount of money stolen is still unclear.
Initial reports mentioned a sum of 2.5 million euros, but later suggested that it could be five times higher.
Austrian Airlines spokeswoman Tanja Gruber said that as a security measure, there will be no further cash transfers from Tirana to Vienna.
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