Stolen Cash Dropped In Street Taken By Locals
The drama involves a police chase, a million euros, a safe thrown from a thieves' car and residents trying to bag the spoils.
7:46pm Friday 03 May 2013
Police are still trying to recover half the stolen loot
People in a quiet Belgian town who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds after a robbery went wrong are being threatened with jail if they do not return the money.
The drama started two weeks ago when burglars broke into a home and made off with a safe containing about one million euros.
Their car was then chased by a motorcycle police officer and the thieves tried to shake him off by throwing the safe in his path as they made their way through a street in Zedelgem.
The vault cracked open and a lot of the cash flew out as locals scrambled to get a slice of the stolen loot.
Authorities said the money was spread over an area of about 100 metres, and dozens of people, including children and the elderly, rushed out of their homes or cars to grab a share of the accidental bounty.
One woman even came out of her house with a broom and swept the money inside, according to mayor Patrick Arnou.
Police were quickly on the scene and literally plucked cash from the hands of those who were too slow in stashing it away.
But now officers want the money back, and the people who pocketed the cash could face two years in jail if they do not do the right thing.
A veil of suspicion has fallen over the town as neighbours watch neighbours amid door-to-door enquiries by police, questioning residents about what they did, and what they saw others do.
Some Zedelgem inhabitants who missed the windfall said they understood the actions of their fellow locals but insisted the money involved should have made them think differently.
"There are those who say that they should give it back but there are also those who say 'if it were me ...' but we are talking about such an amount," said resident Hector Clarysse said.
"If you pick up so much money you know it is not normal."
The postbox has been repaired after it was damaged
A postbox outside city hall was designed as a spot for people to hand over money - no questions asked.
But thieves tried to unhinge the heavy stone letterbox and make off with its contents.
Mr Arnou said authorities have retrieved nearly half of the million euros originally in the safe.
But the majority of the cash has disappeared into the hands of those who happened to be on that street in Zedelgem.
As for the robbers, they have still not been caught - as police attention was diverted by trying to get back the money.
