French police hunt guard after 11m euro heist

French police are on the hunt for the driver of an armoured van who reportedly made off with more than 10 million euros he was transporting.

The vehicle disappeared in this suburb of Lyon on Thursday morning and was later found abandoned elsewhere in the city without the cash. The driver sped off after his two colleagues got out to make a pick-up.

Joel Chapuis of the CFDT security guards’ union said proper procedures had not been followed.

“The vans have different compartments, so it very difficult to access the safes,” he said. “You need keys and certain other things…and there’s a second key. The other guard normally has that, so we don’t know how he got at the money.”

It is believed the driver had cut the van’s GPS tracking system and phone. As the search continues for the alleged perpetrator of one of Europe’s biggest robberies in years it is also reported the suspect has emptied his bank account.

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tags: France