TIRANA (Albania), April 23 — Four people have been arrested over the Hollywood-style theft of several million euros of cash on the tarmac of Tirana’s airport, police said.

The suspects, all residents of Albania and aged 25 to 38, have been charged with armed robbery and illegal possession of weapons, police said in a statement Monday evening.

“During the checks carried out, police found evidence that will help the investigation” and “has been handed over to the prosecutor’s office,” the statement said. It did not specify when the group was taken into custody.

The armed and masked gang gained access to the runway of the capital’s Mother Teresa airport on April 9 and stole money that was about to be loaded onto an Austrian Airlines flight and destined for a bank in Vienna.

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Police have not revealed the amount stolen but local media reports range from six to 10 million euros (RM27 million to RM46 million), whisked away in less than five minutes.

One of the suspects, a known criminal cast by the media as the likely ring leader, was killed in a shootout with the police during a chase.

According to Albanian media reports, among those in custody is an Islamist who studied theology in Yemen and went on to fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan, where he was arrested by US forces in 2006 and deported to Albania.

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Police have not confirmed that report.

Media also said two of the other suspects are believed to be responsible for disguising the getaway car as a tax authority vehicle, which helped breach airport security.

Prime Minister Edi Rama heaped blame on the Chinese state-owned company that has operated the international airport since 2016, saying they “failed to guarantee” security.

There have been a string of robberies on the road to Tirana’s airport in recent years.

Many foreign banks operating in Albania send hard currency abroad because the local central bank does not accept such deposits for security reasons. — AFP