Authorities in the South American nation of Peru have arrested six suspected robbers in connection to a Friday night airport heist wherein 260 pounds of gold and $3.7 million in cash were stolen.

The scene played out like something out of gangster film. Around 9 p.m. a van and a truck, which carried on board 10 to 12 armed men, raced toward the terminal of the Inca Manco Cápac airport in Juliaca, in southern Peru. The team of robbers proceeded to open fire on three Prosegur armored trucks. Tear gas was launched and chaos ensued.

Approximately 150 people were aboard the plane when the attack occurred.

A passenger named Rafael Vega, who was witness to the heist, told the Peruvian daily newspaper La República, "We were terrified. We heard shots and the crew asked us to throw ourselves to the ground."

After overpowering the armored truck security guards, the robbers ended up escaping with three containers, which held $1.4 million in soles, $1 million in U.S. dollars and 265 pounds of gold worth $4.8 million.

As reported by El Comerico, after arresting six of the dozen suspected robbers, the national police were able to recover about 30 kilos (66 pounds) of gold and $310,000 in soles. Despite the recovered loot, $2 million in cash and $3.6 million in gold still remain unaccounted for.

As quoted in Peru Reports, Vicente Romero, the national police chief, said, “We are still conducting investigations in conjunction with the organized crime prosecutors. Romero said that one of the arrested is Bolivian, another was from Lima and the other four are from Puno [a city in southeastern Peru]."

Under new security laws enacted by President Ollanta Humala, Romero notes that the captured suspects face life in prison.