Truckers could be suspected in $5M gold bar cargo theft, reports say

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Following an odd cargo theft earlier this week — in which roughly $5 million in gold bars were stolen from the back of a tractor-trailer heading from Miami to Massachusetts — authorities have begun to question whether the two truckers piloting the rig were involved.

The drivers made a sudden and unscheduled stop along a rural stretch of Interstate 95 in North Carolina on Sunday night. They both subsequently got out of the truck’s cab, when three men in a cargo van pulled up next to the truck, held the truckers at gunpoint, tied them up and then stole the 275 pounds of gold from the trailer.

Detectives in the case have noted it “could be an inside job,” according to multiple reports, including one from the county’s local Wilson Times.

Wilson County Sheriff Calvin Woodard held a press conference Wednesday on the matter, but didn’t comment on the detective’s speculation. He also said the drivers were still considered victims at this time, not suspects.

Casting suspicion on the two truckers, however, are several items of note. Of chief concern, the two drivers left their guns inside the truck when they exited their vehicle after pulling off — a violation of their carrier’s (Transvalue) rules.

The two drivers also reported mechanical issues, and one reported being sick after smelling diesel fumes. Neither of those claims could be confirmed by a mechanic, however, the Wilson Times reports.

The truck’s trailer doors were also only protected with a simple padlock.

Lastly, the cargo thieves stopped behind the truck almost immediately, and upon tying them up immediately went for the trailer doors and the buckets of gold within.

More details on the investigation will be posted when they become available.