Armored car caper
November 7, 2009
French authorities have been searching fruitlessly for the driver of an armored car who went missing on Thursday. Police suspect an inside job as the contents of the security van totaled more than 10 million euros ($14.8 million).
The armored car had picked up the money at the Banque de France in Lyon. Later, as the two other members of the security crew had momentarily left the vehicle to enter a different bank, they returned only to find the van had left. The vehicle was discovered later, abandoned and cleaned out.
The scene at the man's apartment was similar according to state prosecutor Xavier Richaud.
A clean get away
"We went to search his place and were surprised to discover the flat was unoccupied, almost cleared out, the refrigerator was empty and we couldn't find his papers," he told i-tele television on Friday.
"It's as though he had prepared his escape beforehand."
Police remained on the look out for the 40-year-old suspect, at airports and border checkpoints, a single man with no children.
sjt/AP/Reuters
Editor: Andreas Illmer