iPad Mini Heist: $1.5 Million Stash Of Apple Devices Reportedly Stolen From JFK Airport

$1.5 Million Worth Of iPad Minis Stolen In 'Brazen' Airport Heist
A shopper check out the new Apple iPad mini at the Apple store on Michigan Ave. Friday, Nov. 2, 2012 in Chicago. Apple's new 7.9 inch tablet went on sale at 8:00 A.M. CDT at the store. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
A shopper check out the new Apple iPad mini at the Apple store on Michigan Ave. Friday, Nov. 2, 2012 in Chicago. Apple's new 7.9 inch tablet went on sale at 8:00 A.M. CDT at the store. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

A $1.5 million stash of iPad minis has allegedly been stolen from a New York City airport.

In what has been described as a "Goodfellas"-style heist, two thieves reportedly stole about 3,600 of the Apple devices from a cargo building at John F. Kennedy Airport earlier this week. The New York Post, which had the exclusive on this story, writes:

The crooks struck shortly before midnight on Monday and used one of the airport’s own forklifts to load two pallets of the tablet computers into a truck, according to law-enforcement sources.

They might have gotten more, but the thieves drove off leaving three more pallets of the Apple tablets behind after they were challenged by an airport worker returning from dinner.

As of Wednesday, the thieves were still at large.

TechCrunch notes that the iPad minis had likely "just reached the U.S. from Apple’s assembly partners in China, and were destined for delivery" around the country when they were stolen.

"If so, it’s possible that … 3,600 expectant Apple fans are going to be disappointed, but Apple could also very theoretically redirect stock destined for store shelves to make up the difference," the tech website continued.

The million-dollar iPad mini caper has reminded some of the infamous 1978 Lufthansa heist, which was immortalized in the 1990 film "Goodfellas." The Lufthansa heist thieves reportedly stole $5 million in cash and nearly $900,000 in jewelry from the very same JFK cargo building from which the iPads were snagged, the New York Post notes.

Since its unveiling, the iPad mini has become one of the hot gadgets for the holiday season. After the device was launched earlier this month, throngs of people lined up to get their hands on the new tablet -- even after Superstorm Sandy ravaged New York.

Apple Introduces A New iPad

Apple's New iPad Mini

Before You Go

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot