BAGHDAD — Three gunmen wearing military uniforms stole more than 250 pounds of gold from a jeweler in the Iraqi capital, a senior police official told NBC News on Tuesday. The armed men were traveling in a Land Cruiser SUV with no licence plate and tinted windows, the officer said. They stopped a car belonging to the jeweler in the east of the city, near the International Zone, on Monday night. The trio threatened to kill the victim before making off with three bags containing a total of 98 gold bars, with each weighing 2.2 pounds.
They also took a fourth bag filled with 37.5 pounds of golden accessories, the police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. He added that the whereabouts and identities of the gunman remained unknown. It was not immediately clear how much the gold bars were worth. However, based on the current price of gold at $1,200 per ounce, and the quality at which 2.2-pound bars are manufactured, a haul that size could be worth up to $3.8 million, London-based bullion dealer Baird & Co. told NBC News.
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