Fool’s gold for failed vault thieves in Venezuela

Like a gasp-inducing movie scene, 20 heavily armed robbers broke into the vault of a Russian gold company in eastern Venezuela Sunday but made off with no booty after they failed to open the safe.

Not two, not four, but “20 armed assailants broke in, seized control of workers in the mine and processing facility, and later cut open doors to the smelting area,” Rusoro security chief Coronel Emilio Quesada told Globovision television.

“They did get into the storage area but they were unable to open the armored security safes.”

The incident took place in the gold mining town of El Callao, and the suspects fled the scene, authorities said.

Rusoro Mining has two mines in Bolivar state, and a joint venture with the government to exploit gold reserves elsewhere.