The Austrian Airlines aircraft was ready to go when a van pulled up in front of the passengers: Masked men robbed a cash-in-transit vehicle at the airport of the Albanian capital Tirana and captured several million euros.
The valuable cargo was just loaded on Tuesday in the jet, which should depart to Vienna. An offender was killed shortly afterwards on the run, as the TV channel TV Klan reported on his website, citing the Albanian police.
The masked gunmen had driven in the act with its own van in front of the machine on the apron. On the vehicle was the inscription "Steuerfahndung". At gunpoint, the perpetrators forced the cashier to hand over the sacks of money. Some of them had to be retrieved from the hold of the aircraft.
Then the men drove off. About 800 meters away, she wanted to stop a stationed there contingent of the airport police. In the firefight, an attacker was killed. The others threw his body out of the car and escaped first.
Offenders captured at least two million euros
The police started a comprehensive search. So far it is not clear how much money the robbers have captured. Media reports speak of at least two million euros.
The jet of type Airbus A320 belonged to the Austrian airline AUA. For the passengers, some of whom had become eyewitnesses to the robbery of the jet, there was never any danger, the reports said. Some passengers said, according to TV Klan, that they considered the attackers part of a police exercise because of their black combat gear and bullet-proof vests. The plane landed in Vienna two and a half hours late.
Organized crime is a major problem in Albania. The gangs often organize themselves along clan structures that are difficult for law enforcement agencies to penetrate. Lastly, three years ago, a cash-in-transit vehicle was similarly robbed at Tirana airport.