An official says the decision was taken after an investigation concluded that landowners, local authorities, members of the security forces and humanitarian workers were involved in stealing aid.

Reports say the majority of the items involved were small pieces kept in a storeroom and included gold jewellery, gems and semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD.

Britain announced a new wave of sanctions last month on Russia over its war against Ukraine, targeting 'shady individuals and entities' connected to the suspected theft of Ukrainian grain.

Prosecutors say they estimate the theft of the data to have inflicted at least US$233 million worth of losses on Samsung Electronics.

Police officers saw the woman enter the basement of the building at around 2.45am local time and found signs of forced entry, reports say.

The haul was valued at US$545 million when it was stolen on March 23, but was worth about US$615 million based on prices Tuesday, making it one of largest thefts ever in the crypto world.

With assistance from Sony, Citibank and Japanese law enforcement, FBI investigators were able to obtain the private key, equivalent to a password, needed to access the bitcoin address.

The shooting is the latest in a country where law enforcement readily resorts to deadly force when confronting criminal suspects.

Retailers around the country are taking notice and precautions against possible copycat hits as the sheer size of the robbery gangs and their ability to plan secretly have made them nearly impossible to halt.

Two suspects have been placed in custody after a high-speed chase.