How thieves broke into museum, stole gold coins in 9 minutes

Coins of the Celtic Treasure on display at the local Celtic and Roman Museum in Manching, Germany, May 31, 2006. (Frank Maechler/dpa via AP, file)

Thieves who broke into a southern German museum and stole hundreds of ancient gold coins got in and out in nine minutes without raising the alarm, officials said Wednesday, in a further sign that the heist was the work of organized criminals.

Police have launched an international hunt for the thieves and their loot, consisting of 483 Celtic coins and a lump of unworked gold that were discovered during an archeological dig near the present-day town of Manching in 1999.