In the largest robbery in Chile's history, a gang of thieves managed to steal around $10 million from Santiago's airport in under three minutes. The highly organized crime has brought to light the security inadequacies in Chile's airports.

The robbery took place on Tuesday when workers began unloading the money from a Brinks security van into an awaiting plane, according to BBC News. The money was destined for banks and mining operations in Copiapo, in northern Chile.

Eight robbers, wearing hooded sweatshirts and carrying weapons, attacked the van as it began loading the money in a thoroughly planned attack that began at 5 a.m., according to the Argentine newspaper El Clarin. The robbers arrived earlier that morning wearing airport personnel uniforms and hid until the Brinks van arrived on to tarmac.

El Clarin reported that the Chilean Aviation Directory (DGAC) conducts airport security in Chile, which only allows civilian security and not the police inside the terminals, barring all weapons from the tarmac. The van's armed escort stayed inside the building, and only one unarmed guard went with the van out to the tarmac. The awaiting thieves overwhelmed the sole guard and put the money in two cars.

The men then escaped north of the airport, deploying nails on the ground to prevent a chase. The state prosecutor has already began an investigation and will not rule out the possibility of accomplices working from the inside of the airport or Brinks, since the thieves knew when and where to strike.

Chile's undersecretary of the Interior, Mahmud Aleuy, expressed his disgust with the security at Santiago's international airport, according to El Diario Panorama. Aleuy has demanded answers from DGAC, the Chilean police and Brinks. He has also called for an investigation by the Ministry of Defense.

"There's serious work to do; we will find the current protocol's vulnerabilities," said Aleuy in reference to the fact that guns cannot be taken unto the tarmac.

Aleuy added that they would modify current rules, allowing police to enter the tarmac, if needed.

On Friday, the Chilean government expressed its anger after local newspapers printed video stills from the robbery, according to EFE. They argued it would hinder the investigation.

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