Video: Thief swipes 86-pound bucket of gold flakes worth $1.6M

NEW YORK -- 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.

The unidentified thief swiped the 5-gallon metal bucket off the back of the vehicle on Sept. 29 when a guard went to the truck’s cab to reportedly retrieve his cellphone.

The incident occurred in broad daylight on West 48th Street in New York City’s Midtown section. Police say the suspect likely didn’t know what the bucket contained.

Police say the thief lugged the gold flakes up the street, taking an hour to complete what would normally be considered a 10-minute walk. At one point, the suspect is seen putting down the heavy pail, reports CBS New York. He then hopped into a white van and fled.

The suspect is believed to be hiding out in Florida.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.