TOKYO: A group of three masked men dragged a hefty block of gold bullion weighing about 100 kilograms from a museum in central Japan, police said on Sunday.

The block of gold worth about 200 million yen ($1.7 million) was placed in a safe and exhibited with the safe's door open so that visitors to the museum could touch it, owner of the gold, Hisao Nakahagi said.

“The gold was exhibited on the second floor, which was monitored by a security camera from the first floor,” said Nakahagi, 59.

“An employee on the first floor heard a noise from upstairs and rushed up there,” he said. “Three masked men were trying to move the gold bullion.” The men pushed the employee aside, dragged the gold in a bag downstairs, and drove away with a fourth accomplice, he said.—AFP