Thief Stole a Bucket of Gold Flake Worth $1.6m From Back of Security Truck In Busy Manhattan Street

                               

Police are hunting for a thief who swiped a bucket full of gold flakes worth $1.6million off the back of a truck in the middle of Manhattan.

The NYPD has released CCTV footage of the unidentified man, who snatched the 86-pound pail from the vehicle at the end of September.

It is believed that the guard briefly stopped watching over the truck and went into the truck's cab to retrieve his cellphone when the robbery took place.

             

               

It happened in broad daylight on West 48th Street in New York City's busy Midtown area.

Footage from the theft shows a man walking along 48th Street and then loitering around the truck, which was open at the back.

And when he thinks nobody is watching, he reaches into the vehicle and lifts down the heavy bucket containing the gold flakes.

Afterwards, he is captured on camera hurrying along the sidewalk as he struggles with the stolen goods.

At one point, he even places the five-gallon bucket on the ground, to give his arms a rest from the heavy load.

But after a short rest, he picks up the bucket again and disappears into across the street.

Police say the thief lugged the gold flakes up the street, taking an hour to complete what would normally be considered a ten-minute walk.

He then hopped into a white van and fled.

Officers say they believe the thief didn't know what was contained in the bucket.

Police are now searching for the man and believe he could be hiding out in Florida.