Armed robbers have stolen commemorative gold coins worth more than $2m (£1.6m) from Mexico’s mint.
Two men threatened guards at a branch of the Casa de Moneda in Mexico City before grabbing more than 1,500 coins from a vault, police said.
They fled on motorcycles before police arrived. No-one was injured.
The gold coins, known as “centenarios”, were first minted in 1921 to mark the centenary of Mexico’s independence from Spain.
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According to Mexican media, the same Casa de Moneda branch was broken into last year during renovations.
In the latest robbery, the two men – one carrying a firearm – burst into the branch on Tuesday morning. Police said they had overpowered a guard, seizing his gun, before one of the robbers headed straight to the vault – which was open.
Investigators suspect some employees of the mint could have been involved in the raid, La Vanguardia reported.
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The coins, which are highly sought after, bear Mexico’s coat of arms on one side and on the other a design featuring Mexico City’s Angel of Independence monument backed by volcanoes.
Their production was suspended in 1931 but because of demand more have been minted since 1943.
Source:Â bbc.com