Police in central England are asking for help catching thieves who made off with an estimated $US6.6 ($9) million in Apple gadgets last Tuesday night.
Between 7:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time on Nov. 10, thieves hijacked a truck carrying some 48 pallets of Apple products, including iPads, AirPods, and Apple Watches, police said.
The heist took place just off the M1 motorway in Northamptonshire, according to local police. The robbers allegedly tied up the truck’s driver as well as a security guard and took the truck to an industrial park in the village of Crick, where they hooked up the trailer to an awaiting truck. Police believe the thieves later transferred the stolen merchandise to an unidentified “third vehicle.”
According to Reuters, no weapons were used in the crime, and the driver and security guard suffered only minor injuries.
The nearly $US7 ($10) million in stolen Apple products is among the biggest thefts on record. It easily eclipses a spate of 2018 robberies at Apple stores in the Bay Area, which resulted in approximately $US1 ($1) million in stolen Macs, iPhones, and more. Seventeen people were later charged in the series of thefts.
Northamptonshire police are asking that anyone with any information or evidence that can help them crack the case come forward.
“Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have seen a number of vehicles on the slip road at Junction 18 between the stated times, which may have looked out of place, or who may have dash-cam footage of this area,” the department said in a press release. “They would also like to speak to anyone who may have been offered any Apple products for sale in unusual circumstances, or who knows of anyone who is selling such items at low-cost prices.”
Locals who believe they have helpful information can call 101 and cite reference number 20000595599. Anyone who wishes to snitch anonymously can call Crimestoppers at 0800-555111, which we are sure people who just bought a new Apple Watch for $US300 ($411) are definitely going to do.