Thieves pull off multi-million gold heist from Caribbean boat
WILLEMSTAD, Curacao (AP) - Masked men in jackets emblazoned with the word "police" boarded a fishing boat Friday in Curacao and stole 70 gold bars worth an estimated $11.5 million, officials in the southern Caribbean island said.
The boat's captain was struck in the head in the early-morning assault before the thieves made off with the gold in three cars, police spokesman Reggie Huggins said. Authorities believe there were at least six men involved in the heist. No suspects were in custody.
Huggins declined to say who owned the approximately 216 kilograms (476 pounds) of gold but he said it was a legal shipment that was being trans-shipped through Curacao and officials in the island had been advised in advance that it was coming as part of normal security protocols. He declined to disclose the eventual destination of the metal.
"Authorities knew of the shipment because the official procedure was followed," the spokesman said.
Huggins said that guards to the port area let the assailants inside a restricted area in the mistaken belief that they were customs officials. The men's jackets had the word "police" in English but in Curacao the word would be written in Papiamento, one of the island's three official languages, as "polis." During the robbery, crew members said they wore hoods and masks and made off with the gold in a matter of minutes.
"The crew said it was like a movie operation, very fast," Huggins said.
The captain and three crew members were from the South American country of Guyana, he said.
The boat, by its appearance, would seem an unlikely place to stash that amount of gold. The "Summer Bliss" is a fishing boat with rust streaks on its white cabin and no visible security.
A crew member who gave his name as Raymond Emmanuel told The Associated Press that they left Guyana four days ago and arrived early Friday in Curacao. Contradicting police, he said they were delivering the gold to a company in Curacao but said he did not know the name of the business.
He referred questions about the source of the gold to the captain, who was meeting with authorities on the Dutch Caribbean island and not immediately available.
Emmanuel said the gold was locked away when the thieves boarded the vessel. "They took everything," he said.
The crew member said neither he nor anyone else on the vessel was armed. "This is normal," he said. "We never carry arms. Since I started working here, I've transported gold once before, and this is the system."
Colin Sparman, executive secretary of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, said legal shipments are typically made by air under heavy security. But gold smuggling is common to avoid taxes and royalty payments on the precious metal.
Curacao, just north of Venezuela, is primarily known as tourist destination, particularly for divers. It is also an offshore financial center, especially for people from South America.
The boat's captain was struck in the head in the early-morning assault before the thieves made off with the gold in three cars, police spokesman Reggie Huggins said. Authorities believe there were at least six men involved in the heist. No suspects were in custody.
Huggins declined to say who owned the approximately 216 kilograms (476 pounds) of gold but he said it was a legal shipment that was being trans-shipped through Curacao and officials in the island had been advised in advance that it was coming as part of normal security protocols. He declined to disclose the eventual destination of the metal.
"Authorities knew of the shipment because the official procedure was followed," the spokesman said.
Huggins said that guards to the port area let the assailants inside a restricted area in the mistaken belief that they were customs officials. The men's jackets had the word "police" in English but in Curacao the word would be written in Papiamento, one of the island's three official languages, as "polis." During the robbery, crew members said they wore hoods and masks and made off with the gold in a matter of minutes.
"The crew said it was like a movie operation, very fast," Huggins said.
The captain and three crew members were from the South American country of Guyana, he said.
The boat, by its appearance, would seem an unlikely place to stash that amount of gold. The "Summer Bliss" is a fishing boat with rust streaks on its white cabin and no visible security.
A crew member who gave his name as Raymond Emmanuel told The Associated Press that they left Guyana four days ago and arrived early Friday in Curacao. Contradicting police, he said they were delivering the gold to a company in Curacao but said he did not know the name of the business.
He referred questions about the source of the gold to the captain, who was meeting with authorities on the Dutch Caribbean island and not immediately available.
Emmanuel said the gold was locked away when the thieves boarded the vessel. "They took everything," he said.
The crew member said neither he nor anyone else on the vessel was armed. "This is normal," he said. "We never carry arms. Since I started working here, I've transported gold once before, and this is the system."
Colin Sparman, executive secretary of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, said legal shipments are typically made by air under heavy security. But gold smuggling is common to avoid taxes and royalty payments on the precious metal.
Curacao, just north of Venezuela, is primarily known as tourist destination, particularly for divers. It is also an offshore financial center, especially for people from South America.
I didn't win the power ball so I had to have a backup, can you blame me?
Say! This story reminds me of the mismanagement of funds in our own country. :D
Were you really suppose to tell everyone that gold shipment sailors are unarmed??????
 Curacao is a gun free port. Absolutly no fire arms in through the ports.
@cpt.iceman Thank you for that info.
Inside job with crew or local government...
Alright I got to ask, what in the hell is a fishing boat doing with all that gold?
Some times when people transports things like this they like to do it in the open under everyones nose in plain sight(under hush hush). Alot of stuff is moved in this manner. If you transported gold in a big truck marked gold shipments then everyone and thier dog would be trying to get it. But in this case someone had to of talked.
weekly shipment of gold leaving America from some rich guy to avoid taxes
Shoot, that's not even a good Powerball payout any more!
@RatchetRanger I'm still waiting for my cut.
 @WendyTeagarden  Wendy - It is in a brown paper sack in the wastebasket in front of the courthouse, just like it states on page 3 of the arrangement!
@beernpizza - Get a copy from Wendy!
 @RatchetRanger  @WendyTeagarden dammit ratch, I only have pages 1 & 2....WTH
Hmmmmm.... alrighty then. I'd be really afraid that the owner of the gold, would think I stole the gold, were I part of the crew...
Nothing out of the ordinary here......
Maybe they were taking back what was theirs.....