A couple of thieves successfully lifted more than 3,000 iPad Minis from JFK International Airport earlier this week. The iPad Mini heist, which included more than $1.5 million of Apple merchandise, occurred in the same cargo building that was used during the heist in the movie GoodFellas.
The New York Post reports that two crooks used a forklift on Monday night to steal two pallets of Apple tablets. The thieves successfully loaded the pallets onto a truck and were able to leave the airport with the merchandise. On the bright side, security at the airport said that the thieves had to leave three pallets of tablets behind after an airport worker returned from dinner and questioned their activities.
In total, the crooks took about 3,600 iPad Minis from the airport. The mini tablets were being shipped by a company called Cargo Airport Services. According to the Post , the iPads had just come in from China and were scheduled to head out to various locations in the United States.
Police believe that the heist may have been an inside job. Airport workers are currently being questioned and at least three have been given polygraph tests.
The iPad Mini heist took place in the same location as one of the most famous heists in US history. The 1978 Lufthansa heist, which was recreated in the movie GoodFellas, resulted in the theft of $5 million in cash and $900,000 in jewelry. If adjusted for inflation the total comes out to $21 million and makes the Lufthansa heist the largest cash robbery in American history.