Train robbers swipe $2m worth of Nikes in heists across California and Arizona

Many shoes haven't hit market yet as authorities investigate at least 10 incidents targeting BNSF trains in remote areas

Thieves have targeted freight trains running through the deserts of California and Arizona in a string of audacious heists resulting in the theft of more than $2m worth of new Nike sneakers, including many that haven't hit the retail market yet, according to officials and court documents.

In a 13 January robbery, suspects cut an air brake hose on a BNSF freight train traveling through a remote section of Arizona and made off with more than 1,900 pairs of unreleased Nikes worth more than $440,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Phoenix. Many of the shoes were Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4s, which won't be available to the public until 14 March and are expected to retail at $225 per pair, the complaint states.