German police said five masked intruders carrying a machine gun stormed a coffee shop near Frankfurt in Central Germany on Monday morning. The attackers sprayed tear gas and stole about €8,000 ($8,950) before fleeing in a car.

Police said the robbery at the coffee shop in Oberursel happened around 4 a.m. local time, outside of normal open hours, and most of the guests were likely acquaintances of the owner.

A least one of the people in the cafe at the time of the robbery suffered respiratory issues as a result of the tear gas and had to be brought to hospital for treatment, police said.

Read more: Police in western Germany launch massive raids against criminal clans

Most of the stolen money belonged to the coffee shop owners and some of it to the guests.

Police used a helicopter to search for the armed group but have so far not been able to find them. They have asked for possible witnesses to come forward.

law/rt (AP, dpa)

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