Ecuador man arrested over 36 kg gold theft from transit van in New York

Baku. 21 January. REPORT.AZ/ A man has been arrested in Ecuador accused of stealing an 36kg bucket of gold flakes worth $1.6m from a truck in New York. Report informs citing the BBC.

Julio Nivelo, 53, was detained in the west of the country. His lawyers say he was not even in the US at the time of the theft.

Video footage captured the incident last year, showing a man struggling with the weight of the loot and having to put it down to rest.

The theft took place on September 29 in one of the busiest areas of Manhattan Midtown. The footage shows that the cash in transit van left unattended for a while, and it took just 20 seconds to commit theft.

The gold is yet to be recovered.