German police launch manhunt after airport heist
March 6, 2019
German police are searching for three suspects who reportedly attacked a money transport truck at Cologne-Bonn international airport.
"This morning at around 09:15 (0815 UTC), three masked and armed men raided a money transporter," police spokesman Wolfgang Baldes said on Wednesday. "There were shots. An employee of the (money transport) company was severely injured by at least one shot to the thigh."
Police confirmed later in the day that the shot victim's life was not in danger.
The attack occurred near the arrivals area and long-distance bus hub at the airport. Cologne police said the suspects fled the scene and later set their car on fire on the outskirts of the German city.
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Authorities said it was unclear whether they fled in another vehicle or by foot after torching their getaway Audi. Police noted that the suspects appeared to have been well organized. They did not specify whether any cash was stolen from the vehicle.
Cologne police said the robbery was reminiscent of another attempt on a money transporter last year. The assailants, who may have had ties to the far-left Red Army Faction, attacked the vehicle in an Ikea parking lot. However, authorities said it is too early to speculate on links between the two incidents.
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ls/amp (dpa, AP)