On Easter Sunday, an unknown number of thieves broke into a cash storage facility and walked off with $30 million. The Los Angeles Times describes the caper as "seamless, sophisticated, stealthy." The Times broke the story midweek
The crooks targeted a Gardaworld building in Sylmar. Gardaworld is a Canada-based global cash management and security company which also operates its own fleet of armored vehicles," according to the New York Daily News.
The FBI and Los Angeles police have been tight-lipped about the robbery and have not identified any suspects.
Obviously, the first thing the authorities are looking at is an inside job. The facility is on a quiet suburban street in a nondescript building. It wasn't generally known that the facility housed tens of millions in cash.
Gardaworld describes itself as a "global champion in security services, integrated risk management and cash solutions, employing more than 132,000 highly skilled and dedicated professionals.” The money is insured but this "champion of security services" just lost $30 million to thieves. Not exactly "secure," is it?
Officials said the burglars appeared to enter through the roof.
At least one alarm was triggered during the crime, but it was not connected to local law enforcement, according to a source familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.
In any case, the thieves were able to get in and out without anyone knowing.
There was also a hole in the side of the building covered by a piece of plywood. A law enforcement source confirmed to The Times there was an effort to breach the side but it was not clear how that area was used in the heist.
Neighbors reported hearing "weird noises" at the time of the heist.“That sound is embedded in my head,” one woman told the Times. She heard the noises for two hours and added, “my mind is still going crazy over what happened. I know it’s just money, but they’re invading your space."
George Alhosry, owner of the Kwik Market and Deli down the street from the cash facility, said his business’ Wi-Fi was down for most of Sunday.
“We couldn’t access the Lotto,” he told the LA Times, adding that cellphone calls also would not go through.
It is not clear if the Wi-Fi issue is connected to the robbery, but Wi-Fi jammers are a common tool used by robbery gangs who target homes in Southern California, the outlet noted.
The gadgets allow seasoned thieves to shut off security cameras that can capture video or still images of the crime in action, it explained.
Investigators are looking at similar heists around the globe, thinking the thieves may be an international ring.
It has “all the markings of a really well-thought-out job” performed by a “professional crew,” according to Scott Andrew Selby, co-author of “Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History.”
How disappointed are we going to be if the criminals turn out to be a couple of second-story crooks who had some inside information about the facility?
John McEarchan, a former FBI agent speculates that it's almost certain that an employee was involved in some way.
“In something like this, you have got to look at employees first and an internal theft. Someone knows the weakness of the facility — where they should enter, what areas may not be alarmed or [have] motion detectors.
With authorities remaining quiet we don't know anything about what kind of leads they might have. But unless someone talks, the mystery will likely remain unsolved
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