Robbers take $8.5 million in gold from Canadian-owned mine in Mexico

CULIACAN, Mexico — A robbery of $8.5 million in gold from a mine refinery in Mexico’s western Sinaloa state was likely an inside job, authorities said Wednesday.

Sinaloa’s interior minister Gerard Vargas Landeros told reporters that the caper at the facility of Canada-based McEwen Mining Inc. had to have been pulled off by either employees or ex-employees.

“It was premeditated, well planned and organized,” Vargas said. “It had to have been done by someone who knows the inside movements … we believe we can solve this very quickly.”

A statement from McEwen said the theft occurred Tuesday at the El Gallo 1 mine and involved 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds) of gold-bearing concentrate containing approximately 7,000 ounces of gold.

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The Canadian mining firm said the robbers were armed, but no one was injured. It gave no more details.

Authorities said Wednesday that the robbery was an isolated incident and would not affect operations or international investors.

“We’re generating a strategy to guarantee the safety of employers in the industry,” said retired Gen. Moises Melo Garcia, state director of security.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We're generating a strategy to guarantee the safety of employers in the industry," said retired Gen. Moises Melo Garcia, state director of security.

He said criminals in the area usually rob fuel from nearby pipelines of Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, the state-run oil company, but that this is the first time anyone has hit a mine.

State Prosecutor Marco Antonio Higuera Gomez said there are several important lines of investigation, but declined to give details or a motive.

McEwen said its insurance policies will not be enough to cover the losses.

The Toronto-based company has operations in Mexico, Nevada and Argentina.

It was the second hit on a Mexican mine in recent months. In February, several employees of the Media Luna mining company in the southern state of Guerrero were kidnapped for ransom by a drug cartel, and later released.

After the kidnapping, community police demanding more security shut down operations of the mine, owned by the Canadian company Torex Gold Resources.